The New Inn at Kilmington, east Devon, was one of the few pubs featured in every edition of the GBG. I have heard that the fire was caused by a chimney fire, although the news report below does not confirm this.
From :
FIRE RAVAGES THATCHED PUB
>
>BY BEN STEWARD AND CHRIS MILLS
>
>12:00 - 28 February 2004
>
>Nine fire crews battled to save a Devon pub last night as flames
>ripped through its thatched roof. The blaze at the New Inn at
>Kilmington started just before 6pm and soon spread through the entire >first floor.
>
>Appliances from Exeter, Axminster, Colyton, Seaton, Honiton, Ottery St
>Mary, Exmouth, Sidmouth and Budleigh Salterton all rushed to the
>scene.
>
>But the firefighters' attempts to tackle the blaze were hampered by
>low water pressure. South West Water raised the pressure serving the
>area after being contacted by the fire brigade. And an emergency
>tanker carrying extra supplies of water was also drafted in.
>
>No one is believed to have been hurt in the blaze, although around 20
>exotic birds were rescued from an aviary in the front beer garden. >
>A Devon Fire and Rescue spokesman said: "This was clearly a very
>serious fire with a lot of firefighters being called out. The water
>pressure was a big problem, but the guys did all they could to tackle
>it as well as the circumstances would allow.
>
>"They also did their best to salvage some of the equipment from inside >the pub.
>
>"We had to call in the RSPCA because there were some canaries and
>other birds in an aviary out the front which needed rescuing from the >smoke."
>
>He added that an investigation into the cause of the fire would begin
>as soon as it was safe to do so.
>
>A witness to the blaze said the heat from the flames was so intense
>you could feel it up to 10 feet away.
>
>"I saw the roof collapse in and the first floor was completely ablaze >too," he said.
>
>"The flames were so intense that at one point it seemed as though
>houses 10 feet away were in danger of catching alight.
>
>"I have a black face and black hands just from being near the
>pub. It's because it's a thatched roof that it burned so intensely and
>gave off so much thick smoke."
>
>The ground and first floors of the pub were severely damaged by the
>fire, which continued smouldering until the early hours of this
>morning.
>
>Much of the pub's thatched roof was also burnt away.
>
>Fire investigators are expected to be at the scene later this morning
>to try and discover what caused the blaze.
>
>The pub's owners, Brian and Denis Jenkins, were unavailable for
>comment.