- Fire ripped through the roof of the large house in Curdridge, near Southampton
- Investigation is now under way to try to uncover the cause of the fire
Owners of a £1million country mansion have been left devastated after their home of 35 years went up in flames.
The fire ripped through the roof of the large house in Curdridge, near Southampton, on Sunday evening.
The owners managed to escape unscathed as more than 60 firefighters battled the blaze, managing to get it under control by this morning.
However, photos show the extent of the destruction with the fire brigade confirming the home has been destroyed.
An investigation is now under way to try to uncover the cause of the fire on rural Curdridge Lane, where recent house sales have ranged between £600,000 and £1million.
The fire ripped through the roof of the large house in Curdridge, near Southampton, on Sunday evening
The owners managed to escape unscathed as more than 60 firefighters battled the blaze, managing to get it under control by this morning
Photos show the extent of the destruction with the fire brigade confirming the home has been destroyed
Neighbour Phil Sommereux, a retired dentist, 64, who lives opposite, said: ‘We were watching a film when my wife stood up and said she could see flames and we realised it was a house on fire.
‘I went over there to see if I could help. We didn’t know if anyone was trapped. I called the fire brigade on my way over.
‘Luckily everybody was out and the fire brigade was there. It was pretty dramatic. It’s certainly very upsetting for the owners who have been there for about 35 years.
‘The fire had ripped through the roof. It was completely unexpected. We obviously feel very sorry for the owners who are now presumably homeless for some time.
‘It was quite spectacular. I expect there will be a lot of support for them..’
A spokesperson from Hampshire Fire Service said: ‘More than 60 firefighters worked into the night to stop a large fire which destroyed a property in Curdridge.
‘Firefighters arrived at around half seven last night to find the roof involved in a significant fire.
‘Fortunately there were no casualties, with all occupants having safely evacuated.
‘Fourteen fire engines were in attendance at the height of incident, along with the aerial ladder, specialist water carrier and environmental protection vehicles.
An investigation is now under way to try to uncover the cause of the fire
‘Crews from Botley, Bishop’s Waltham, Hightown, Fareham, Eastleigh, Wickham, St Mary’s, Droxford, Cosham and Hamble were involved in the initial stages of the blaze.
‘The electric and gas supplies to the property were isolated by engineers, as firefighters used hose reels and jets to extinguish the flames.
‘It was confirmed the roof had been destroyed and the ground-floor had suffered significant water damage
‘We expect our crews will have some form of presence at the Curdridge property for most of the day. They will be joined this morning by fire investigation officers who will work to establish the cause of the blaze.’
