Public thanks after people helped move horses away from Woodbastwick fire

Woodbastwick Fire. Photo by Josh Lamb (Image: Josh Lamb)

It happened in Ferry Road, Woodbastwick, where eight crews spent hours overnight and into the early hours of this morning battling the blaze close to Ferry Farm Livery.

And although the fire wasn't at the livery yard itself, it was close enough that evacuation procedures had to be taken.

On the livery yard's Facebook page, a public post at around 2am said: 'Ferry Farm would like to thank everyone who helped tonight when a fire broke out in a building next to our livery yard. All horses were safely evacuated and the fire crews were fantastic.

'Luckily the yard was not involved in the fire but due to the proximity of the blaze the emergency fire procedures were carried out.

The fire broke out in a building at a livery yard in Woodbastwick (Image: Archant)

'Fire crews will remain on scene for the next few hours to ensure that everything is safe.'

The fire itself was on the ground floor of a commercial building, used to store wooden boats, and firefighters were called at around 10.20pm yesterday.

They battled to contain the fire in the building - which is owned by the Woodbastwick Estate - and were able to save the thatched cottages close by. No one was injured in the incident and residents evacuated four horses from nearby stables to a paddock.

By this morning just one fire engine was at the site, damping down the area, and the crew left around 10.30am.

Ferry Road itself was closed, and Norfolk Fire and Rescue said an investigations officer would be on the scene to try and determine a cause.

Tom Garrod, county councillor for Wroxham, tweeted to thank Norfolk Fire and Rescue. He said: 'Very grateful to the @Norfolkfire crew who tackled the blaze in Woodbastwick last night until the early hours.'

Norfolk Fire and Rescue said an investigations officer would visit the property to establish the cause of the fire.