THE fire which destroyed an 18th Century thatched cottage started accidentally, investigators have discovered.

The blaze tore through the New Forest home last Thursday, February 12, catching hold in the roof and burning thousands of tonnes of thatch.

Horrified Sopley residents watched as the fire continued to burn for much of the night, with around 45 firefighters working to protect as much of the building as possible throughout the night.

Today, a spokesperson from the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “It was deemed that the fire started as the result of an accidental event.”

She said it had been concluded that the fire was likely to have started as the result of an electrical fault, or as heat transferred through the brick-work of the chimney.

Firefighters were able to salvage most of the contents of the property by acting swiftly as flames took hold.

However, they were forced to abandon the operation due to fears over two chimney stacks left standing above the wreckage of the roof.