'Devastating' fire tears through bungalow near Shropshire and Cheshire border

Firefighters from three regions were mobilised to a large fire at a home near the Shropshire and Cheshire border on Tuesday afternoon.

The Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service was called to a home in Audlem at around 3.30pm on Tuesday afternoon (July 28) following reports of a blaze at a domestic property from the Cheshire fire service.

Firefighters from Market Drayton station, who were mobilised to the scene, said the incident had begun as a hedge fire that had spread to a nearby home.

A spokesperson for the station said the large smoke plume from the incident was visible “for many miles”.

They added: “On arrival, crews were confronted by a fully developed and rapidly spreading fire involving a large bungalow, outbuildings, hedgerows and surrounding grassland.

“Firefighters immediately began tackling the blaze using high-pressure hose reel jets in an aggressive effort to bring the fire under control.”

Facing limited water supplies and an “extremely narrow” access road, additional support was requested from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Firefighters reported local fire hydrants were “unable to provide sufficient water”, and a water shuttle was established to transport supplies from Audlem where hydrant pressure was more reliable.

A spokesperson for Shropshire Fire and Rescue said: “Despite the determined efforts of all crews involved, the bungalow and outbuildings were sadly destroyed by the fire.

“We are pleased to report that the elderly occupants escaped unharmed and that there were no injuries to either the residents or firefighters during this incident.

“Crews remained at the scene well into the night, continuing to extinguish deep-seated pockets of fire and ensure the area was made safe.

“Our thoughts remain with the owners of the property following their devastating loss.

“Finally, we would like to thank the local agricultural community for their generous offer of assistance with water tanks, and the wider local community for their patience and understanding while emergency services dealt with this challenging incident.”