AROUND 30 fire fighters, five engines and one turntable were called out to battle a huge blaze this evening in Turville, near Henley.

Crews were called at 4.58 pm to the two story cottage after a fire began in a utility room.

A woman was present in the house with her daughter at the time. The woman, who wished not to be named, said: "I heard a tinkling of glass in the other room.

"I checked on my daughter in the front room, then looked out of the window and saw smoke.

"I grabbed my daughter and shoved her out of the house.

"When I went back in the whole house was full of smoke."

The woman then tried to dial the emergency services but could not as the fire had disabled the telephone. She ran out onto the village green where a passer by was able to contact the fire brigade using a mobile phone.

The fire crews were able to bring the flames under control, and were beginning to leave the scene at eight o'clock. The house was seriously damaged.

John Bull, station manager at High Wycombe fire station said: "The fire began in the ground floor utility room - we're still investigating that.

"The fire had gone straight into the roof so that you couldn't get access easily."

The house is owned by the woman's partner, who was away at the time of the fire. She said: "My partner has owned the house for years, and he'll be very upset.

"I think it's sad because when something like this happens you lose all of the memories that are connected to a place."