Firefighters tackle blaze at Althorp Estate farmhouse
Firefighters have been tackling a blaze at a farmhouse which is part of the Althorp House estate in Northamptonshire.Charles Spencer, who owns Althorp House, posted on X that he was "stunned" by the fire, which began at the Dallington Grange farmhouse on Mill Lane, in Kingsthorpe, Northampton at about 01:30 BST.The earl added that the building was "fortunately unoccupied at the time" of the blaze and claimed it was "apparently burnt down by vandals".Northamptonshire Police said the incident had "not been recorded as a crime at present, but this could change if there is evidence to indicate it was started deliberately."
Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service said the two-storey building was "fully on fire" when crews arrived.It said that at the height of the fire, four crews from across the service wearing breathing apparatus used hose-reel jets to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading further.One crew will remain on the scene with a water bowser to continue dampening down any remaining hotspots, it said.The fire comes less than a year after a fire at an empty industrial unit in nearby Harlestone Firs, which is also part of the Althorp Estate.
'Completely destroyed'
In a statement, David Fawkes, the chief executive of the Althorp Estate, said: "The house and farm buildings have been unoccupied for several years and the site is scheduled for redevelopment as part of the Dallington Grange development. "The farmhouse was built in the late 18th Century, and it has been completely destroyed by the fire, but the surrounding outbuildings are undamaged. "Our priority is to secure the site and make sure it is safe."He added: "We are very grateful to Northampton Fire and Rescue Service and the estate team for dealing with the fire so effectively. We don't know how the fire started."
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