It was 1:40 p.m. this Saturday, November 23, 2024 when the firefighters were called to a fire in a private home, at 2, impasse de la Belle-Etoile in Vouillé. It was the owners of the house, who had taken refuge with their neighbor and who did not suffer any injuries, who themselves warned the fire soldiers.
“We had a fireplace. First there was a general power cut in the house, then a strange smellrelate le couple. I then went upstairs and immediately saw heavy smoke, I understood immediately”adds the occupant. Especially since one of the smoke detectors immediately went off. The opportunity for the fire chief to remind “the importance and effectiveness of these devices”.
The central part of the pavilion completely collapsed
The couple had just the time and presence of mind to grab some papers and get the two vehicles off the property so the fire didn't engulf the roof. The first findings suggest that the fire was of accidental origin with a fire starting in the chimney flue, on the gable side at 1is floor. “However, like every year, we had the chimney sweep done three weeks ago,” are surprised by the owners whose homes were badly damaged by the flames.
Collapsed ceilings
The central part was destroyed, the ceilings of the main rooms having collapsed. Only the garage, the laundry room and the bathroom were able to be preserved after the intervention of thirteen sappers from the centers of Neuville-de-Poitou, Latillé and Saint-Éloi in Poitiers.
While the main fire was contained around 3 p.m., the firefighters began clearing and stripping the house, allowing the occupying couple to recover only a few clothes. They were relocated with relatives in the town.
