Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service have confirmed that they have been unable to investigate what started a devastating house fire in Brading last week (Friday 1st December) because the building isn’t yet structurally safe. As first reported by Island Echo, firefighters rushed to New Road shortly before 02:50 when a blaze broke out in the 2-storey residential address, with flames seen lapping out of the roof. According to eyewitnesses, 2 loud explosions awoke people from their beds before a man stumbled out of the damaged property and into the street. He was initially cared for by neighbours before being transferred to hospital. It’s thought he was airlifted to the mainland shortly before 05:00. All other persons are accounted for. Island Echo understands that Police stumbled across the scene of devastation whilst on night-time patrol, spotting the smoke and flames from afar. The alarm was raised with 3 fire appliances initially mobilised from another large incident at Bowcombe, but the property was well ablaze by the time firefighters arrived. It has been confirmed by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service that the house has been 100% destroyed, with the fire spreading to the adjoining property. Crews from Freshwater, Ventnor, Sandown and Ryde were involved in fighting the fire, alongside mainland crews from St Mary’s, Southsea, Havant, Liphook and Fareham. 
A GoFundMe page was set up to help those displaced by the fire with a total of over £7,500 raised in just over 7 days. The original target was £500. Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service had been hoping to enter the property in attempts to ascertain the cause of the incident, however the building isn’t currently safe for them to do so. A spokesperson from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service has said:
“We’re still hoping to attend and ascertain the cause of the fire, but it is still deemed unsafe for our Fire Investigators to enter the property.”
