Moment £1.5m mansion is destroyed by huge fire after 'solar panels cause it to erupt into flames'

A £1.5m mansion has been destroyed by a immense occurrence thought to person been started by recently installed star panels.

The immense blaze erupted astatine a location successful Ferndown, Dorset, aft a neighbour noticed the inferno astatine astir 12.30pm yesterday, sparking a monolithic effect from occurrence crews. 

Firefighters from six antithetic stations raced to the spot connected the exclusive Golf Links Road wherever they desperately tried to extinguish the occurrence and halt it spreading to neighbouring houses. 

They were capable to yet douse the blaze, but not earlier it had wholly destroyed the full archetypal level and the extortion of the mansion. 

Footage of the incidental shows agleam orangish flames leaping 20ft into the aerial arsenic they tore done the ample detached home, which backs onto the exclusive Ferndown Golf Club successful Dorset. 

The £2,300 a twelvemonth nine is simply a favourite of legendary play commentator Peter Alliss who worked determination arsenic an adjunct to his begetter Percy erstwhile helium was a teenager.

The owners, who were uninjured, are believed to person lone purchased the location successful January and were successful the process of renovating it erstwhile the blaze broke out.

The mates had installed star panels connected the extortion astir a period ago, according to neighbours, and are believed to beryllium the origin of the fire. 

Stuart Gillion, radical manager astatine Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service, said: 'We were alerted to a important and good developed fire.

'The 2 occupants were wrong and they were alerted by a occurrence alarm truthful they were capable to get out.

'The full archetypal level of the spot and the extortion person been destroyed, but an aboriginal involution stopped the occurrence spreading to neighbouring properties.

'It is perfectly heartbreaking for the owners to spot the spot they had developed and had go their location successful this state, but the astir important happening is they were unharmed.'

A spokesperson for Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service said they fishy the origin of the occurrence that destroyed the £1.5m mansion was from the caller star panels connected the roof.

They said: 'The reinspection has been completed. We judge the occurrence started accidentally and fishy the occurrence started from star panels.'

It is believed that the occupants astatine the location are an Eastern European mates aged successful their 30s.

Nextdoor neighbour Pete Webb, 75, a retired peculiar needs specialist, said: 'My woman gardening and I abruptly noticed this burning odor and said "what connected world is that".

'I looked up and saw 20ft precocious flames shooting from the backmost of the location and called 999.

'They were tackling the occurrence from our driveway and determination were exploding bangs similar an aerial raid - it was terrifying.

'Thankfully they managed to halt it spreading to our house.

'The owners person been perpetually doing enactment to the extortion and the occurrence investigators asked maine astir their star panels.'

Another neighbour said: 'The occurrence started connected the extortion and sadly astir of the location has gone.

'I spoke to the household earlier and they are doing good and they were truly calm. They lone moved into the location successful January.

'I deliberation the owners spent a batch of wealth renovating it and they enactment star panels connected the extortion a period ago.

'It is specified a shame to spot what has happened but the occurrence crews did truly good to halt it spreading to different properties.'

Fire crews from Redhill Park, Springbourne, Poole, Wimborne, Ringwood and Hamworthy were sent to the scene.

Nearby residents were told to adjacent their windows arsenic a ample plume of achromatic fume blew crossed the area.

The play people remained unfastened and it is not believed that the location affected belongs to 1 of their members.

The legendary play commentator Peter Alliss worked arsenic an adjunct to his begetter Percy astatine Ferndown Golf Club erstwhile helium was a teenager.

During his broadcasting vocation helium often described Ferndown arsenic being his favourite course. After his decease successful 2020, the nine renamed their 9 spread people successful his honour.