Updated: 21:14 July 19, 2022 Firefighters are battling a large blaze in a village in west Norfolk. Crews were called to the fire in Brancaster Staithe at around 4.50pm, with at least five engines called to the scene. The fire started in a field near the White Horse pub in the village, just off the A146 on the south side of the road. People are now being evacuated from their homes in Brancaster Staithe and nearby Burnham Deepdale after flames reached the gardens of houses on the A146. Phil Hartshorne, who works at Staithe Smokehouse, said it was unlike anything the village had seen before, with sheds burnt to the ground. He said: “It started small but then it got closer and closer to homes. “We had a wildfire a few years ago and we’ve had problems with flooding, but we’ve never seen anything like this before.” Thick black smoke and flames were visible from the village at the height of the fire. A business owner in Burnham Deepdale said: “The fire was behind the houses opposite the White Horse pub. “You could just see black smoke rising into the air. “I could see that the gardens were all black from where they had been burnt. “There were about five or six fire engines at the scene. “People were evacuating and neighbors were handing out water and helping the elderly out of their homes. “It’s really scary that something like this is happening in such a small village. You see it on the news and it happens in other places, but you never think it will happen to you. “If anything, it was nice to see people come together and help each other.”
