Residents urged to take care with candles after overnight Tameside fire

A MAN was helped to safety after a knocked over candle caused a fire in his home.

In the early hours of this morning (Tuesday 6 October) a crew from Hyde Community Fire Station attended a house fire in Shaw Street, Mottram.

On arrival at 12.47am firefighters found a fire in the living room, which is believed to have been caused by a candle placed on a table which was accidentally knocked over.

Firefighters wearing two breathing apparatus used a hose reel, a fan and a thermal imaging camera to extinguish the blaze.

The crew was in attendance for approximately thirty minutes.

Head of Prevention, Area Manager Paul Duggan said: “Thanks to the quick-thinking actions of our crew at Hyde this incident was under control within a short amount of time and prevented further damage.

“Candles can be dangerous, and we know that as winter fast approaches they are used more often. Reduce your risk of causing a fire by reading over our candle fire safety advice on our website.”

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) recommends that you:

• Never leave a candle unattended and remember to extinguish it before you go asleep
• Make sure the candle is standing up straight and is firmly fixed in a proper holder so it can't fall over. Scented candles turn to liquid in order to release their fragrance, so always burn them in a suitable glass or metal container that will not leak the liquid and can withstand the heat from it
• Always place candles on a heat resistant surface. Nightlights and tealights can melt plastic surfaces, such as the top of the TV and the side of a bathtub
• Keep candles out of draughts, blowing curtains and sources of heat or direct sunlight
• Always leave at least 10cm between two candles and never place them under shelves or other surfaces
• Extinguish candles before they burn into holders
• Burn all candles well out of reach of children and pets
• Always put candles out before you move them. Using a 'snuffer' or a spoon is safer than blowing them out, which can send sparks and hot wax flying
• Consider an extra smoke alarm in the rooms where you burn candles
• Never use outdoor candles indoors
• Never lean across a candle - you could set your hair or clothes on fire
• Never play with candles

Paul continued: “A working smoke alarm can give you vital time to escape if a fire did occur in your home. Make sure you have a working smoke alarm on every floor of your home.”

For more home safety advice visit the GMRFS website.

06/10/2020 11:11 AM