"Devastating" fire breaks out at industrial estate near Totnes
Pictures shared online show firefighters on the scene tackling the blaze
Last updated 24th Jan 2023
Around 70 firefighters have tackled a blaze at an industrial estate near Totnes.
Crews were called to the scene at Broadhempston at around 6.30pm last night (Monday 23 January).
Initially, three fire engines were dispatched but this was later increased to around 20.
Devon and Somerset's Assistant Chief Fire Officer has described it as "devastating" and hopes the small companies affected can recover "as soon as possible".
Gerald Taylor shared pictures online, that show firefighters on the scene.
He tells us: "There were five businesses affected by the fire and they were all mechanical engineers, so there was a lot to catch fire - cars, fuel, small gas cylinders.
"It was a devastating fire and you can tell from the conversations with those business owners that they were heartbroken. It's going to be really hard work for them to pull those businesses around and I really hope they do.
"These small businesses are key employers within our community and we really need them to be successful and thrive, so when these type of incidents happen that are so devastating it's really heartbreaking."
He said teams "fought hard" to bring the fire under control in just under a couple of hours and thankfully no one was injured.
It is currently unclear how it started. Teams remain on the scene this morning to dampen down hotspots.