Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service Newsdesk

at 16/12/2008 16:24

A Wadebridge resident had a lucky escape in the early hours of Sunday morning, when a tea light set his bed on fire while he slept. Crews were called out at 3.30am by the resident who told Fire Control that he was in a burning building and being burnt as he spoke.

Despite the adverse weather, Wadebridge crews were on the scene within minutes and found that the occupier had managed to escape, as had the occupants of the two adjoining buildings. While crews battled the blaze, the residents were tucked up in the fire appliances to keep warm and safe from the fire.

Pete Robinson, Station Manager and Officer in charge at the scene explains, “The building was well alight on arrival, with the fire being extremely well developed. Luckily the occupant had managed to escape although he suffered some burns and was taken to hospital. There was no smoke alarm in the property, which was an annexe attached to another house, and the occupant was only awoken by the smoke and flames all around him on his bed.”

Subsequent investigations gave very good indications that the cause was a tea light on the bedside table, left lit as the occupant slept, which had fallen on to the bed and set the bedding alight.

Pete continues, “He was very very lucky. Without a smoke alarm he could have become overcome by smoke and simply drifted into unconsciousness, rendering him unable to escape. The adjoining property was heavily smoke logged and two occupants there had to be treated for smoke inhalation. The quick response of crews in putting the blaze out meant that this was not a more tragic outcome.”

Cornwall County Fire Brigade once again warns Cornwall’s residents to be extra vigilant when using candles.

Top tips for candle safety

· If you must use candles, make sure they are on an appropriate stand or dish

· Never leave them burning unattended

· At this time of year, keep them away from Christmas decorations which are highly flammable

· Keep matches and lighters out of the reach of children

· Make sure you have a smoke detector so that if something does go wrong, you have an early warning

Related item: http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=2025