A BUNGALOW roof was destroyed by fire in Fordham on Tuesday but the house itself was saved by the alarm call of a quick-thinking neighbour on the Mildenhall Road, who spotted the flames. Shortly after 6pm three fire crews from Burwell and Soham arrived t

A BUNGALOW roof was destroyed by fire in Fordham on Tuesday but the house itself was saved by the alarm call of a quick-thinking neighbour on the Mildenhall Road, who spotted the flames.

Shortly after 6pm three fire crews from Burwell and Soham arrived to find the roof well alight. Police closed the road to allow fire-fighters to tackle the fire safely.

Richard Powell, Watch Manager for Soham Fire Station, said: "The fire was well developed by the time we were called, and affected a large proportion of the roof. Thanks to the swift actions of fire-fighters we were able to stop it from spreading to the main house."

"The roof has been almost completely destroyed by fire, but the damage inside the home itself has been kept to a minimum."

Crews stayed at the scene for more than four hours, cutting away sections of the roof to ensure that the fire was completely out.

A re-inspection then took place at 11.30pm and fire crews returned to their bases.

A spokesperson for the fire service said the cause of the fire is believed to be accidental, caused by a spark which landed on the roof and started to smoulder.

Pic cap: The roof of the bungalow was destroyed by fire on Tuesday.

Photo: HELEN DRAKE.