'Brilliant firefighters saved my home', says resident of fire-stricken Inkpen cottage

A total of eight crews attended the blaze on Thursday night, which was thought to have started soon after 9pm in the chimney breast in the cottage, in Trapps Hill, before spreading to its thatched roof.
Teresa Cordery, who lives at the cottage with her husband, Steve, told the Newbury Weekly News this week: “They were absolutely brilliant. I have lost absolutely nothing except from a carpet that has been down a long time.
“They were a good lot of men and women. They saved my house. I can’t thank them enough.
“There was no panic, nothing. They were absolutely brilliant. Thank God we have got such a brilliant service.”
Mrs Cordery added that they had not lost their electricity or hot water supply in the blaze, but had lost their heating and - more importantly in the eyes of their nine-year-old granddaughter Eva - their television aerial.
“I had to run out and buy an indoor one,” said Mrs Cordery.
Eva was not in the house at the time of the fire, but often visits her grandparents.
The building suffered 10 per cent damage in the fire, which was tackled by crews from Newbury, Hungerford, Reading and those from across the border in Wiltshire, while around 20 per cent of the thatched roof had to be removed.
The crews in teams to minimise the damage to the property, some tackling the blaze itself, others working to remove the thatch, and some rescuing items from inside the building to prevent them being damaged by water or smoke and from catching fire.
Thames Valley Police also attended to direct traffic due to the large number of fire pumps and vehicles at the scene.
Crews began leaving the scene at 11.30pm, and the final pump left at 00.46am.
A crew from Newbury fire station returned at 7.30am on Friday morning to ensure the area was safe.
No-one was hurt in the incident.
The incident has prompted a reminder from the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) for home owners to get their chimneys swept, particularly at this time of year as the cooler autumn days and chilly nights set in.