House Fire Investigation

18 April 2013, 11:33 | Updated: 18 April 2013, 12:02

A fire that almost completely destroyed a large detached house in Milton Keynes is now thought to have been started accidentally.

Thames Valley Police had started an arson investigation following the fire at The Approach, Two Mile Ash on the afternoon of Saturday 13 April 2013.

They now say they have found no evidence that the fire was started deliberately.  Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue have told Heart it's most likely the fire started accidentally in a ground floor guest bedroom.

Finding the exact cause is proving difficult because of the amount of debris that's fallen as a result of the fire.  Firefighters have had to dig through up to three feet of debris to try and find what caused the fire.

Seven people were able to escape safely from the fire but firefighters say all were able to get out because they had been given early warning of the fire by a smoke detector.

Group Manager Ian Taylor, one of the officers who were called to the fire, said: "On arrival, crews were confronted by a well-developed fire in a two-storey detached house. The fire spread rapidly, causing damage to the roof, ground and first floors of the house, along with three cars parked on the driveway.

"Firefighters used jets, hose reels and an aerial monitor from a turntable ladder and brought the fire under control within an hour. Volunteers from the British Red Cross Fire and Emergency Support Service attended in the evening to provide to support to the occupants."

Ian added: "South Central Ambulance Service and Thames Valley Police also responded to the incident, and provided invaluable support by setting up a cordon and establishing that everyone had left the premises."

The fire left parts of the house unstable.

Heart's been told the house has now been handed back to the householder and their insurance company.  The house was cordoned off for several days after the fire, leading to the closure of a nearby road junction.