A DOG died in the fire which swept through a riverside house in March yesterday.

A DOG died in the fire which swept through a riverside house in March yesterday.

Fire fighters are still at the scene of the blaze which destroyed the Grade II listed cottage alongside the River Nene near the town bridge.

The house is still too unstable for fire fighters to gain access- the first floor of the cottage has collapsed and the whole building is extensively damaged.

It is understood that owner Nick Hunt is facing a total write off since neither the building nor contents are believed to have been insured.

Fire fighters arriving at the blaze yesterday were forced to balance health and safety against gaining access after being warned of butane heaters and live cartridges possibly being inside the house.

Hundreds of onlookers crowded onto the town bridge to watch as fire fighters tackled the blaze at 7 Nene Parade.

One onlooker said: “I just finished work and I could see it from the back. Flames were pouring out of the chimney.

“The owner is obviously upset. You don’t want to stand and watch your house burn down so he went into the pub.”

A fire service spokesman said that the house had been “100 per cent destroyed by fire”.

Fire fighters managed to stop the fire from spreading to the home next door. Police closed the town centre for safety reasons but re-opened it some hours later.

People walking through town were forced to cover their faces to shield them from the thick smoke.

Tiles fell into the street as the cottage’s roof began to crumble. Four fire crews tackled the blaze after they received the call at 3.33pm.

Another onlooker said: “We came out of Boots and thought the fog had come back. I’ve never seen smoke like it.