A passenger aboard a hot air balloon who spotted a fire near Cullompton has described the moments he witnessed the blaze.
Three fire engines were sent to a wooded area at Hele after the blaze broke out in an outbuilding at 8pm last night.
Kevin Jones, from Willand, said: "We took off from Rockbeare and were flying towards Hele and spotted smoke. First thoughts were that it was from the mill but as we got closer realised it was further over than the mill and that it was a big fire."
Kevin, who works as a self-employed chimney sweep, said: "It was too big to be a bonfire or chimney fire – chimney fires are quite common this time of the year at the end of the winter season.
"At one point it looked as though the trees had caught fire as well as the building. The pilot contacted Exeter airport as we were under their control and they called the emergency services.
"By the time we flew over the fire thankfully it had started to die down. We enjoyed the rest of our lovely flight and landed at Chettiscombe."
Crews from Cullompton, Middlemoor and Danes Castle found a single storey brick-built shed alight. They put out the fire before it spread but the building was severely damaged.
