MORE than 50 firefighters - including ones from Newton Abbot and Buckfastleigh - tackled a thatched property blaze for nearly eight hours on the edge of Paignton on Saturday.

Half of the three-floor building at Higher Blagdon Lane in Blatchcombe was damaged by fire with the rest suffering water, heat and smoke damage.

Three main jets were used to knock out the fire together with two hosereel jets.

A fire spokesman said the cause was reckoned to be accidental.

The alarm was raised at 2pm with the last fire crew not leaving the scene until 9.30pm.

On arrival crews found smoke and flames issuing from the building with the roof well alight.

Water from a local hydrant and a pond was used together with supplies from a bowser from Torquay.

Efforts were made to create breaks in the roof while a salvage operation was also started.

A fire spokesman said: ‘It was hard graft from start to finish - but all crews worked extremely hard throughout the incident.’