Halstead firefighters helped battle a blaze which left a family of five homeless.
It took six fire crews from Essex and Suffolk more than seven hours to put out the fire at a 300-year-old thatched cottage in Twinstead.
Sarah and Lee Wotton, owners of the farm in Pebmarsh Road, only discovered their home was ablaze when their electricity went off and they spotted flames.
They grabbed their three children, including a two-and-a-half-year-old baby, and evacuated the house before calling the fire brigade.
Firefighters from Halstead, Sible Hedingham, Sudbury and Long Melford were called to the blaze at about 7pm yesterday.
It was finally extinguished at 2.10am today but crews from Dunmow and Witham remained on scene throughout the night to damp down any hotspots.
A full investigation will now be carried out into the cause of the fire, but it is not being treated as suspicious.
- More in tomorrow's Gazette
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article