Suspected gas explosion destroys house

Councillor says her 'windows shook'

A Devon councillor said all her windows shook after an explosion from a house in her village.

Councillor Melanie Martin said she was working from home when she heard an explosion and “the windows in the house all moved”.

“I wondered what on earth had happened, and went outside and saw other people coming out of their houses and asking each other what they thought was going on,” she said.

“I live on Fore Street in Otterton, near the pub, and I looked down towards Ladram and saw smoke coming into the air, which got blacker and blacker.”

Emergency services were called to the scene on Ladram Road near Otterton at around 11.30am after a suspected gas explosion.

Pictures taken at the scene show flames engulfing the ruins as witnesses were left in shock.

Multiple fire engines were called to prevent the fire from spreading.

Cllr Martin, who said she lived around a 5-minute walk from the property, said emergency services quickly arrived, with fire engines, police, paramedics and other incident response vehicles.

“The villagers and Otterton Parish councillors pulled together to help the emergency services get through by redirecting traffic and helping people who couldn’t get back to Ladram Bay,” she said.

Cllr Martin (Independent), who represents Budleigh and Raleigh on East Devon District Council, added that the road through the village remained closed at the present time.

She added that she had spoken to the son of the property owners, and had been told nobody was inside the house at the time.

“I can’t believe the good fortune of that,” she said, adding: “I’m just really thankful that nobody was hurt.

Cllr Martin said she believed the property was a Huf Haus, an eco-friendly, modular home built by its namesake company in Germany.

Cllr Martin said Otterton was not on mains gas, and so if the cause of the explosion was gas related, then it would have most likely been a tank or a cylinder. 

A statement from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said: “We currently have five appliances in attendance at an incident following a suspected gas explosion at a detached property on Ladram Road near Otterton at around 11.30am this morning.

“The property has been completely destroyed and was well alight on arrival. Crews split the incident into two sectors to bring the fire under control and prevent it from spreading.

“All persons have been accounted for, and there are no reports of any injuries.”

A statement from Devon and Cornwall Police said: “We are assisting our colleagues in the fire service as they respond to a suspected gas explosion at a house in Otterton.

“There are no reported injuries. Officers have closed the road from Otterton Village to Ladram Bay for public safety and to facility emergency service access.

“The road is expected to remain closed for some time while the incident is ongoing.

“We would also like to thank local residents, farmers and staff at Ladram Bay who initially responded to the incident.”