Thatched Devon pub 'miraculously' avoids significant damage
Interview with Rob Cude, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue
A fire at a thatched pub in South Devon has miraculously left the bar and much of the extended building unscathed.
Around 80 firefighters worked overnight to put out the flames at the Jolly Sailor in Ogwell near Newton Abbot.
The first call came around 4.30pm on Friday 23 April, and fire crews are still at the scene on Saturday dampening down any hotspots.
The roof and the first floor of the traditional pub has been severely damaged in the fire but considering the scale of the fire Newton Abbot Group Manager Rob Cude said it is not as bad as it could have been.
He said, "It looks devastating but a lot of the building has survived."
"There was a fire door that remained closed throughout the incident and everything to the right hand side, the skittle alley, the restaurant area and pub kitchens, are completely intact with no fire damage at all."
"It's amazing what a door can hold back."
Fire investigation is ongoing at the moment but the fire service says there is no reason to suggest it caught alight in suspicious circumstances.
Nobody was injured and the fire crews are aiming to hand back responsibility of the building to the owners this weekend.
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