Beloved garden centre near A38 ruined by fire

A massive blaze has left a garden centre in ruins. Firefighters rushed to The Old Well Garden Centre, Uffculme, near Cullompton, after receiving reports of smoke and flames around 1.27am on Friday, November 1. The fire ignited in the garden centre, and by the time emergency services arrived, a large warehouse was fully ablaze.

The cause of the fire is unknown but investigations are taking place to discover the cause as emergency services are still at the scene. Three fire engines were initially dispatched from Cullompton, Tiverton, and Taunton, but an additional five appliances had to be dispatched to assist with the job.

Pictures from the scene show the garden centre with severe burnt damage. Due to the heavy smoke, local residents are being advised to keep their windows and doors shut.

Rachel Gilmour, MP for Tiverton & Minehead, took to X, formerly known as Twitter to share the sad news. She said: "I am saddened to hear about the fire at the Old Well Garden Centre this morning. My thoughts are with the owners, David and Christine, and their team. Thank you to the fire service teams for their swift assistance. Affected constituents can contact my office at 07356 087010."

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said: "We received a call at 1.27 am due to reports of smoke and flames at a garden centre off the A38 near Uffculme. Three appliances and an aerial platform were initially dispatched from Cullompton, Tiverton and Taunton fire stations. On arrival, a large warehouse was well alight and an additional five appliances were dispatched to assist.

"Crews have made steady progress through the night using hose reel jets, safety jets and an aerial ladder to control the fire and the incident is beginning to be scaled down as crews locate and dampen down hotspots. Due to smoke, residents in the local area are advised to keep their windows and doors closed."

The Old Well Garden Centre said on Facebook: "We are closed today. Further updates will be published soon."

This incident is ongoing. Follow our live blog here for more information.