Blaze strikes former US president's ancestral home in Tyrone

Fire ripped through the ancestral homestead of a former US president in the North today.

The blaze took hold at the Co Tyrone cottage once owned by the family of Woodrow Wilson.

Fire crews battled to save artefacts from the humble abode in Dergalt, near Strabane, as their colleagues attempted to douse the flames that had engulfed the thatched roof.

Woodrow Wilson was president of the United States from 1913 to 1921.

Three units from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service attended the scene, two from Strabane and one from nearby Newtonstewart.

It is understood the section of roof covering the main living area has sustained most damage.

The Ulster American Folk Park owns the Wilson Ancestral Homestead, and part of the land surrounding it is owned by the Wilson family.

The popular visitor attraction is usually open to the public during the months of July and August.