Candle causes flat fire in Portsmouth

Southsea and Cosham firefighters were called to a flat on Montague Road in Portsmouth shortly after 6am this morning.

With a candle lit, the occupant of the flat fell asleep only to be awoken by her smoke alarm sounding after the flames had spread in the lounge.

As crews tackled the first-floor blaze the building was fully evacuated with no injuries reported.

Firefighters in breathing apparatus used jets to extinguish the fire before ventilation fans cleared the smoke.

HIWFRS delivered fire safety messaging to neighbouring properties before returning to station at 7:29.

Station Manager Lee Sheen said:

“It’s really important that candles are never left unattended and that they are kept away from anything that could catch fire such as curtains, furniture or clothes.

“We cannot stress enough how vital having working smoke alarms in the home is and the difference it can make if a fire occurs.

“Smoke alarms provide an early warning of incidents and provide precious time to escape.”

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