UPDATED: Candle starts fire in house

9:35am Friday 25th July 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

A CANDLE was behind a house fire in Orford last night.

Residents had used a candle as light when entering the attic, but when they left they left the candle burning in there.

The fire, at Cross Street in Orford, was put out by fire engines after they were called at 1.45am.

There is extensive damage to the attic and its contents.

Four firefighters used breathing apparatus to enter the house and put out the fire, and a positive pressure ventilation fan, which removes smoke from buildings, was used.

"Fortunately for the neighbours the fire didn't spread laterally to their houses," said Carl Hanson, Warrington Fire Station's manager.

"Don't leave candles unattended and certainly not in areas where they are not designed to be used," he said.

Nobody was injured in the fire and fire crews left at 3.20am.