A GRADE II stately home in rural Dorset was almost destroyed in a fire believed to have been caused by an electric blanket being left on.

The blaze broke out at Holnest Park House between Dorchester and Sherborne.

No-one was hurt in the blaze, which broke out on Saturday evening.

A Dorset Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said more than 60 firefighters in 12 appliances and support vehicles were called out to tackle the blaze.

The fire tore through the stately home, which is divided into seven separate flats, and brought down the roof above the central section of the house.

Freddy Wadsworth, 17, who lives in the home with his father Guy, said he discovered the fire at around 7pm.

He said: “I walked up to the front door of the house and saw a lot of smoke coming from underneath it. I looked into my bedroom window and saw six-foot flames inside. The smoke was really thick and there was no way to get in.”

Guy Wadsworth, who manages Exeter Castle for the Exeter Castle Partnership, estimated that the damage would cost around £500,000 to repair.

Chief fire officer Darran Gunter, who was at the scene, said: “Crews have worked extremely hard to contain the fire in the centre section of the building and prevent its spread to the left and right hand wings.

“Fortunately no-one has been injured and no-one has been evacuated, which is always a small positive in these incidents.”

Fire investigation officer Mike Cox added that the fire could have been ‘easily prevented’.

He said: “Although no-one was injured in this incident, a substantial amount of damage has been caused to the centre two flats of this imposing property.

“Some very, very simple safety measures would have prevented this happening.

“Electric blankets are perfectly safe to use so long as they are not damaged, are thermostatically controlled and are tested regularly by qualified electricians.

“In this case the blanket was left on without a thermostat.”