Fire In St Albans Home Highlights Importance of Smoke Alarms

FIRE broke out in the airing cupboard of a St Albans property overnight. Firefighters from St Albans were called to Woodland Drive at 1.15am this morning after a family of three had woken up to the smell of burning and evacuated the house. On arrival the

A FIRE broke out in the airing cupboard of a St Albans property overnight.

Firefighters from St Albans were called to Woodland Drive at 1.15am this morning after a family of three had woken up to the smell of burning and evacuated the house.

On arrival the crews found a fire within the airing cupboard in the bathroom of the property and they quickly put out the flames before checking for any hot spots with a thermal imaging camera.

The bathroom was left with minimal fire and smoke damage, but a water pipe burst in the incident which caused flooding downstairs.

Watch commander Trevor Ray said it was extremely lucky that the family had woken up before the fire spread any further because their smoke alarm was not working.

He said the incident highlighted the importance of fitting smoke alarms and testing them regularly. The firefighters were visiting other residents in Woodland Drive today (Tuesday) to ensure they have working smoke alarms and will be fitting them where necessary.

To book a free home fire safety check, contact the St Albans firefighters on 01727 818919.