FIREFIGHTERS battled a fire involving a cottage in Bransgore.

Crews from Hampshire and Dorset were called to Lyndhurst Road, Holmsley South, after flames engulfed a property that was being demolished.

Sparks from a bonfire in the garden are thought to have caused the blaze.

Fire crews from New Milton, Ringwood, Brockenhurst and Beaulieu were called to the scene just before 3.20pm yesterday (Tuesday). The crews arrived to find the cottage was ablaze from end to end.

Builders had been working on the site of the property in Bransgore when they noticed the thatched roof had caught light.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service crews from Christchurch, Westbourne and Springbourne fire stations were also at the scene.

A Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said there were no reports of any injuries.

Phil Barrett, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service station manager, said: “The fire involved a derelict property which was undergoing demolition.

“There was no risk to life and the incident was scaled down quite quickly to release some of the crews.

“We worked with contractors to deal with the building. We do not know the cause of the fire yet, but it was accidental.

“The property was due to be demolished and people were on site at the time of the fire.

“It is a great example of cross border fire services working together.”

Around 40 firefighters from Hampshire and Dorset used hoses and jets to extinguish the blaze, which destroyed the building.