The mayor of a Cornish town has spoken of his fear for residents after a fire severely damaged a house.

Three fire engines were called to the property in Salisbury Terrace in Bodmin in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus had to search the building. Nobody was injured in the incident.

However, Harold Van Der Worf, the mayor of Bodmin, has said if the firefighters' strike was on, the whole terrace could have burnt down.

I think people have to realise they need to be very careful from now on

Harold Van Der Worf

He said: "Apparently the fierceness of the fire could have affected nearly all of the terrace.

"Salisbury Terrace is very old-fashioned. I don't know what the roof space is like, but I wouldn't be surprised if it went across all of it.

"I think people have to realise they need to be very careful from now on."

Mr Van Der Worf also said he was concerned about people using coal or wood fires to heat their homes.

He said: "I'd advise people to be very careful that open fires are put out at night. A lot of people still have open fires around here."

Bulky equipment

The fire in Bodmin has also raised the question about the availability of breathing equipment.

Six Green Goddess engines and three breathing equipment units will be stationed in Cornwall.

Breathing equipment has to be carried separately as it is too bulky to fit on Green Goddesses.

The Green Goddesses will be based at Truro, Camborne, Bodmin, Falmouth, Newquay and Trerulefoot, near Liskeard.

The breathing equipment units will be stationed at Truro, Camborne and Bodmin.

Emergency cover

Cornwall's Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Steve Webster, said the brigade has been putting fire cover arrangements into place.

He said: "What we will be providing is a level of emergency fire cover where we are undertaking to continue to provide a response to fire calls and other incidents we are called with."

However, some parts of the county may not be greatly affected because they have stations operated solely by retained firefighters who are not striking.

The advice is people should still call 999 if there is a fire.