Electric shower causes loft blaze at Wigan house

Crews from Wigan and Skelmersdale were called to reports of a fire in Elkstone Close, Winstanley, shortly after 10am today (Monday, March 10).

On arrival, they found the loft and roof of a semi-detached house on fire - a blaze which had been sparked by wiring from an electric shower.

Wigan watch manager Shaun Aspey shared details of the incident with Wigan Today to raise awareness of just how quickly fires can spread.

He said: "The lady who was in the house was quite fortunate, really. She was in the shower when the fire broke out, and the shower stopped working. It was an electric shower and it was the cabling from the shower which started the fire in the loft.

"She evacuated the house and saw the roof on fire, so she was very fortunate."

He added: "We had to send in four firefighters with breathing apparatus, carrying two hose reels. The property was heavily smoke-logged upstairs.

"It's damaged severely the roof and loft, and all the possessions in the loft."

Crews were in attendance for approximately two-and-a-half hours.

Mr Aspey used the incident to highlight the importance of having working smoke alarms. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service offers free Safe and Well visits to residents across the region, providing fire safety advice and risk assessments as well as offering free smoke alarms.

To find out more visit the GMFRS website