Quick-thinking homeowners avoided disaster by using a hose to keep the flames back from their thatched home after a tumble dryer burst into flames in a nearby outhouse.
Fire fighters arrived at the scene in Farway just after 6.45pm, last night (Saturday), to find the outbuilding adjacent to a thatched cottage ablaze.
The houses occupants kept the flames away from the thatched cottage until the firefighters arrived, and thankfully the thatch never caught fire.
Crews then battled the garage blaze with a hose reel jet, a compressed air foam jet, and another jet backed up from a nearby water hydrant.
They then used breathing apparatus and a thermal imaging camera to identify hot spots before dampening down to make sure the fire was completely extinguished.
A Colyton fire station spokesman said: "The property owners did really well to keep the flames back from the thatch using garden hoses until we could all reach this very rural location.
"Because of the high risk of thatch being involved, crews from Ottery St Mary, Sidmouth, Middlemoor, Seaton and Honiton attended.
"The garage was completely destroyed but the thatched property was fortunately unaffected.
"Exmouth crew were also positioned on standby at Seaton Fire Station during the incident."
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