Blaze rips through two thatched properties in Cookhill - destroying one and badly damaging the other

THE owner of a semi-detached Grade II listed thatched roof home badly damaged by fire last night (Thursday) said he and his wife were “devastated” by the effects of the blaze.

Will Gowan, aged 41, and his wife Charlene, were returning from seeing a show in London when they got a phone call telling them their house in Cookhill was on fire.

“We were in Tottenham Court Road when we got a phone call telling us the house was ablaze and to get back as quick as we could,” Will told the Herald.

Will said that around 50 firefighters arrived to tackle the blaze in Brandheath Lane, Cookhill. The house adjoining Will and Charlene’s was completely destroyed while their property was severely damaged.

He said the cause of the fire had not yet been established, but it is believed to have started somewhere in the roof. He said that because of the structure of the building it was dangerous for the firefighters as they strove to bring it under control.

Teams of firefighters from Bromsgrove, Redditch, Droitwich and Evesham arrived at the scene. Along with the Hereford and Worcester fire and rescue crews, assistance was also called in from Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Ironically, Will and Charlene and their three-year-old son Shay were not staying at their home because it had been undergoing major repair work – over many months – as a result of flooding.

Will believes their house – unlike the one next-door – can eventually be repaired. “We’ll just have continue living in temporary accommodation for the time being,” he said.