‘Is there anything we can do as a community for the owners, to help them? This was the rally cry from Otterton residents in the hours after a home in the village was destroyed by a gas explosion.
Mid-morning on Monday (August 11), a loud explosion was heard in nearby Budleigh Salterton and in the villages of Newton Poppleford and Woodbury Salterton, after a blast wiped out a detached home on the Ladram Road, Otterton.
Some 24-hours after the blast, Otterton residents joined forces to help the ‘absolutely devastated’ homeowners, with offers of accommodation, spare rooms, food, clothing and other donations.
Debris can be seen strewn across the blast site, where the house once stood.
Image: ITV News.
Police said a woman from the stricken property spotted the blast from the window of her business, not realising the explosion she had seen had just destroyed her own home.
The emergency services confirmed the property was empty at the time of the explosion, and no one was injured. The blast is thought to have been caused by gas from the basement of the property.
Firefighters can be seen on the ground below, damping down the blast site.
Image: ITV News.
Residents said the blast was so loud it could be ‘felt in the middle of your gut’. Some feared a plane had crashed, or a car exploded, as windows in Otterton reportedly rattled, and caravans shook at nearby Ladram Bay holiday park.
Images captured from drone footage show the extent of the blast, the charred remains of the house are scattered across what was once a garden. Insulation rained down onto the road in the aftermath of the explosion.
Firefighters from as far as North Devon were called to Otterton, in East Devon, to tackle the blaze after the gas explosion.
Image: ITV News.
Drone footage shows the blast site.
Image: ITV News.
Inspector Mat Helm, based at Exmouth police station, said: “The female owner, she actually saw it from the window of her business and didn’t realise it was actually her house.
“It’s devasting, You don’t know how to process something like this. It’s your entire life. It’s all your personal property and, unfortunately, being an explosion, it’s distributed it around so there will be some elements of security that we will put in place to protect their dignity and their possessions.”
He added: “Ultimately no person nor pet was injured in this instance and that is a massive blessing however, I would highlight that for the family, this is an awful, awful thing, so please don’t go near the property out of respect for them – and its highly dangerous.”
Inspector Mat Helm, from Exmouth police station.
Image: ITV News.
Police thanked residents, farmers and staff at Ladram Bay who stepped in to help immediately after the blast.
The fire service said the destroyed property was well-alight when crews from across the county arrived to tackle the blaze. A road cordon was put in place for several hours around the village while they worked at the blast scene.
A firefighter at the blast scene. Debris from the house can be seen in the background.
Image: ITV News.
A spokesperson for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said: “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.”
Firefighters from across Devon tackled the blaze after a gas explosion destroyed a home in Otterton.
Image: ITV News.
