Unattended Diva Leads To House Fire 26.09.07

At shortly after 10:30am this morning, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service
received a call to a house fire with reports of people trapped inside on Kensington
Street in the city area of Leicester.

Two crews from Eastern Fire and Rescue Station and one from Central Fire and
Rescue Station were sent to deal with the incident.

Two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the house and successfully
tackled the fire on the ground floor of the property. Two other firefighters also
wearing breathing apparatus then searched the upstairs of the property to ensure
that there was no one left trapped inside.

The fire is believed to have started after a Diva, (a candle light for religious
significance) was left burning and unattended.
Four people escaped from the property and had to be treated at the scene for smoke
inhalation and shock.

Bill Smith, Watch Manager at Eastern Fire and Rescue Station, who attended the
incident, commented: -

This fire is believed to have been started by an unattended Diva. We are
approaching a very significant time of year for the Hindu, Sikh and Jain
communities, and we don't want to dampen spirits, but over my time in the
service I have seen the devastation an unattended Diva or candle can cause.
By taking just a few simple precautions you can greatly reduce the risks for
yourself and your family.

* Treat the Diva as you would any other flame. Use only enough ghee to last
your Puja. If you do need to leave the Diva or candle unattended, make sure
that it rests securely on a surface which will not melt or burn.

* At all times, keep the flame at a safe distance from curtains, furniture and
decorations. Long hair and clothing (especially saris, chunris/chunis and
dupattas) are also very flammable.

* Keep the flame out of reach of children and animals. Children should be
supervised at all times near flames.

On this occasion these people were very fortunate to escape unharmed as they
and their home were not protected by a working smoke alarm. If this fire had
happened at night we could be dealing with a much more serious incident
possibly involving the loss of life. I would especially urge the celebrating
community to ensure they have a working smoke alarm installed on every floor
of their home’

Fire crews have now installed smoke alarms in this property and will be visiting other
properties in the area to fit free smoke alarms and give fire safety advice. To find out
more about free home fire safety visits, please call 0116 287 2241.

- ENDS -

Notes to News Desk
Home Fire Safety Visits
Home safety checks involve crews visiting people at home and offering advice on all
aspects on fire safety in the home from electrical safety, the safe disposal of smoking
materials, through to the fitting and maintenance of smoke alarms and the developing
of a plan to get out in the event of a fire
Statistics

Over the last 3 and a half years (since April 2003) Leicestershire Fire and Rescue
Service have attended over 120 house fires caused by unattended candles and/or
divas.
These fires have led to the death of one person and 26 other people being injured.
Images
Images of the damage caused are available on request

Contact Information
For more information please contact
Amanda Kelly-Pike
Marketing and Publicity Co-ordinator
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service
Tel 0116 287 2241

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