Warning after cigarette sparks flat fire

Firefighters are warning smokers to ensure cigarettes are properly put out following a flat fire in the early hours of the morning.
Fire serviceFire service
Fire service

The emergency services were called to Darby Lane in Hindley at around 1.45am on Friday December 23.

They found a cigarette which was not fully stubbed out had set fire to a bed in a first-floor flat, filling the property with thick black smoke.

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Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus tackled the flames and managed to prevent the incident spreading into any of the other three flats in the block.

Police and ambulance initially attended amid fears there was someone in the flat, but it turned out the occupant had left before the blaze started.

Residents in the other three flats were alerted by the automatic smoke alarms and were waiting outside when the fire crews arrived.

Crews are now pleading with residents to ensure they do not smoke in bed and dispose of cigarettes properly.

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Watch manager Mike Wilding from Hindley fire station said: “The cigarette has caused quite a serious fire in the bedroom, with a lot of smoke damage from the burning mattress.

“Luckily it didn’t spread further but there’s severe smoke damage to the flat. Thankfully the doors were shut as well.

“The message is obviously don’t smoke in bed. We don’t want anything nasty to happen over Christmas.

People also need to check they have working smoke alarms because in this case that alerted all the other occupants of the flats so they could evacuate safely.”

Crews from Wigan and Hindley fire stations attended and were at the scene for around an hour.

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