Fire rips through Oxfordshire property and completely destroys roof

Pictures show the devastating impact of a roof fire at a property in Oxfordshire.

In a statement, Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "At around 12pm on Monday afternoon (15 May) Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service received a call to a report of a roof fire at a property in Mollington, near Banbury.

"Crews from Banbury Fire Station Deddington Fire Station and Rewley Road Fire Station were mobilised, with the first crew arriving on scene within minutes.

"The fire had taken hold of the roof space of a single storey extension and was in danger of spreading to the rest of the house.

"Personnel wearing breathing apparatus entered the building and used high pressure hose reels to bring the blaze under control, preventing a much greater loss.

"The fire investigation was slowed by the live solar panels that were on the property. Fortunately we were assisted by a local electrical professional to make them safe and enable our investigation to be completed. The fire was believed to be caused by an electrical fault in the roof space, and fortunately nobody was hurt at this incident."

Incident Commander Jon Walker said: "We had to act fast, and the rapid intervention by the crew meant we prevented the fire spreading to the two storey section of the property.

"We cannot stress enough the importance of having working smoke alarms in your property, please make sure you take the time to test yours."

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