Date: 20th March, 2018
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is again reminding people about the dangers of leaving candles unattended, following a house fire in Bournemouth in the early hours of this morning (20 March).
Crews were called to Holdenhurst Road at 2.42am, where they found a mid-terraced property well alight.
Firefighters from Springbourne, Westbourne, Redhill Park and Christchurch attended, and six breathing apparatus wearers used two hose reel jets to tackle the blaze, which started in a ground floor bedroom.
The occupant of the bedroom, and four further tenants who were asleep upstairs, all escaped uninjured.
British Red Cross emergency response volunteers, based out of Springbourne fire station, also attended at the scene to support those affected by the fire.
Station Manager Julian Lockwood said: “A candle had been left burning on a dressing table in the downstairs bedroom, and this set the curtains alight. The occupant was woken by the heat of the fire and quickly left the room; as the smoke then reached the hallway, the smoke alarms went off and the other tenants were alerted and also escaped safely.
“This is the second fire in Bournemouth within a week to be caused by unattended candles, and I would urge people to never leave candles burning when they go out of the room or go to sleep. There are LED options which provide the same visual effect but are much safer.”
He added: “The fact that this property had working smoke alarms meant that the tenants upstairs were alerted quickly and were able to escape unharmed. Every home should have smoke alarms fitted, and they should be tested regularly to ensure that they work.”
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service offers free Safe & Well advice to local residents, and those who qualify can receive a home visit from a Safe & Well advisor, which can include the fitting of smoke alarms where appropriate. To apply, call 0800 038 2323 or visit www.dwfire.org.uk/safety