Safety warning after chimney soot causes lounge fire

Crews were called to a property on Bolton Road in Ashton at around midnight on Sunday.

Other news: Woman rescued by neighbour from house fireThey found the fireplace had been boarded up and then turned into an alcove for decorative lights.

However, the chimney still had soot in it and over time it had trickled into the recess, eventually causing an ignition in the area.

There were several people in the back of the house at the time but they smelled the smoke and alerted the emergency services.

No-one was injured in the incident and the flame and smoke damage was confined to the living room.

The crews from Hindley and Wigan stations were at the scene for around an hour and firefighters are now urging anyone with a similar arrangement.to check the safety of it.

Crew manager Gerry Davis from Hindley station said: "It was a decorative feature in the living room with the fireplace plasterboarded and then spot lights set into the under side.

"However, the chimney had not been swept properly and over time it has been dropping onto the plasterboard and the lights.

"If people are going to do this kind of work they need to make sure the chimney flue is fully swept out. This is probably not something you would think about but when you break this incident down you realise what can happen."