Residents 'lucky to escape alive' after candle causes devastating house fire

Crews from Huntingdon, Papworth and Sawtry were called to the house fire in Sapley Park, Oxmoor, Huntingdon on Saturday, May 7, at 1.19am.

Watch Commander Trevor Lindsay said: “The crews were faced with a rapidly developing house fire on the first floor. The first floor windows to the side and rear of the house had fallen out and flames were coming out of the windows affecting the roof line of the house.”

All occupants were safely out of the property, however, an ambulance was called to treat three people for smoke inhalation.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus went into the property, which was filled with thick black smoke, to fight the fire with hose reels.

A fire in the bedroom was fully developed and positive pressure ventilation fans were used to help clear the smoke so crews could fully extinguish the fire. Crews continued to dampen down the property and affected areas.

WC Lindsay added: “The crews worked extremely hard and quickly took control of the fire and we were very proud when local residents thanks us for our quick response and actions at this incident.”

A full fire investigation determined the cause of the fire to be accidental, by a candle coming into contact with soft furnishings in the bedroom.

WC Lindsay said: “On this occasion, the residents of this property are lucky to have escaped alive from a very serious fire.

“The moral here is to remember to keep safety at the forefront of your mind when lighting candles in your household and always make sure you have a working smoke alarm on each floor of your property.

“Never leave candles unattended and if you think you may fall asleep then make sure they are properly extinguished. Don’t forget, always place candles in a suitable holder on a flat even surface well away from bedding, cushions and curtains.” -