Smoke alarm alerts residents to house fire in Ellesmere Port

Four people had a fortunate early wake up call on Thursday 3 July 2014, alerting them to a fire in an Ellesmere Port bungalow.

A smoke alarm, which had been fitted by Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service in July 2012 activated in the home, waking two of the occupants, who then woke up the other people inside.

Firefighters were called to Derwent Drive, Childer Thornton at 2:16am, where a candle on a bedside set of draws had melted down and set fire to the top of the draws.

Firefighters used a large fan to get the smoke out.

Watch Manager Carl Nevitt said: “Thankfully this fire was out when we arrived but this case highlights just how vital smoke alarms are – they do save lives, giving people valuable time to get out and call the fire and rescue service, and everyone should have them in their homes.

“Our advice to anyone who is alerted to a fire in their home is to where possible close the door on the fire, get out, stay out and call us out. It is important to always ensure your smoke alarms are working and people should regularly test them.”

For information about fire safety and what to do in the event of a fire please visit the home safety section of this website.

Candle Safety Advice

Here are some safety tips that will help you to use candles safely:

• Outdoor candles should never be used indoors 

• Leave at least four inches (10 cms) between any two candles

• Always use a suitable holder when burning candles

• Keep loose clothing, hair or other fabrics away from flames

• Children and pets should be supervised when close to candles

• Make sure candles are put out before you go out

• Consider an extra smoke alarm in the rooms that candles are burnt in

• Don't put candles near curtains, or other fabrics or furniture and keep them out of draughts

• Extinguish candles before moving them and don't let anything fall into the hot wax, like matchsticks

• Candles should always be sited out of the reach of children and away from areas that pets can get into

• Don't put them under shelves - make sure there's at least one metre (three feet) between a candle and any surface above it.

• Use a snuffer or a spoon to put them out. Blowing them can send sparks and hot wax flying and double check that they are completely out and not still smouldering

• Put them on a heat-resistant surface and be especially careful with night lights and tea lights, which get hot enough to melt plastic; TVs are not fire resistant objects

• Don't leave them burning. You should extinguish candles before you leave a room; never go to sleep with a candle still burning and never leave a burning candle or oil burner in a child's bedroom

Date published: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 10:59:09 GMT

Last updated: Friday 18 July 2014