Disastrous fire at the Red House, 1933

DISASTROUS FIRE AT THE RED HOUSE STARCROSS, SUNDAY, JANUARY 22^ND 1933

On the Saturday night, Mr Richards made his customary bedtime inspection of the house. He checked the locks on the doors and the window-latches. He raked the ashes from the sitting room fire, then ascertained that his mother, and his daughter Evelyn, were in their beds asleep; before he retired to bed with his wife.

At around 5 on Sunday morning, Miss Evelyn Richards was awoken by the smell of smoke. She aroused her father, who followed the smoke down into the basement. He discovered that 4 joists were alight. Smoke began to fill Red House. Mr Richards ensured that his daughter and his wife made their immediate escape; even though they were clad only in their night attire. Mr Richards wet a towel and put it over his head. Surrounded by dense smoke, he was just able to breathe through the towel. He groped along in dense smoke to his mother’s bedroom. Mr Richards wet another towel, draped it over his elderly mother’s head, and carried her downstairs and out into the street. The women were comforted in a neighbouring property which belonged to Mr Richards’ father; Mr Rowe.

Mr Richards immediately aroused Dr JH Iles, who lived next door on the North side in Swan House. Dr Iles telephoned the exchange who called the Exeter Fire Brigade. The Peacock family in the next door South side; Regent House; were away. Mr Campion was the caretaker of Regent House. He lived in a nearby cottage and was one of the first Starcross villagers on the scene, with Horace Daw and his father. The intense heat prevented the many villagers from effectively fighting the fire, so they concentrated on salvaging the furniture from Swan House. Very little of the furniture from Regent House was able to be saved.

When the Dawlish Brigade arrived,” It was just like a raging furnace.” “We could not go near it.” Flames shot up 30 foot. The whole village was lit up. Under Captain Holman, the Dawlish Brigade concentrated on Regent House and Swan House. Water came from a street hydrant, and a 30,000 gallon storage tank at the Western Counties Institution. Staff from the institution who came to help included: Mr EG Magrow (engineer and clerk of works) and Mr R Millman (attendant). Firefighting equipment from the institution was used. Dawlish Brigade ran their engine under the railway through Bishop’s Arch. Although it was low tide, they obtained sufficient water to pump up a powerful jet.

The Exeter Brigade also attended. The strong south-easterly wind hampered the efforts of both brigades to contain the fire. Red House became an inferno. The flames eat through to Swan House but the two brigades managed to prevent the fire from reaching its staircase. It took over 5 hours to subdue the fire. All that remained of the seven-bedroom Red House were its exterior walls. Both adjoining houses suffered considerable fire damage.

Those who assisted the two brigades were: Constable Ball (Starcross), Sgt West, Constables A & S Stephens (Dawlish), AA & RAC Scouts FH Pike, H Daw, S Hart, W Pike, B&W Badcock, J Skinner, J Selley and B Guest.