Issued: 09.01.08

At: 11am

For immediate release

Five People And Four Kittens Escape Fire Thanks To Smoke Alarm

At approximately 2:50am this morning, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service
received a call to a house fire on Warwick Road in Wigston Magna. Crews from
Wigston Fire and Rescue Station attended the fire found in the living room area of
the house.

Four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the property to quickly
extinguish the fire.

The fire was caused by a candle set fire to a table cloth. The living room was
severely damaged by the fire and the upstairs of the house was smoke damaged.

The occupants of the property had smoke alarms fitted that activated and alerted
them to the fire, the two adults and three children were then able to escape the fire
unharmed. Four kittens were rescued by firefighters however one kitten received
severe burns and had to be taken to the vets for treatment.

Joe Tasker, Community Safety Manager for South Group, said:

‘If the occupants of this property had not had a working smoke alarm fitted
then we could well be dealing with an incident involving the loss of life.
Having an early warning to a fire such as this, is so important especially at
night. Most people that die in house fires die during the night. Be safe and get
smoke alarms fitted in your home.
I would also urge people to be more safety conscious when using candles
and ensure that they are never left unattended or near anything that they can
easily set fire to such as furniture or curtains.
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service can fit smoke detectors at the same
time as a Home Fire Safety Check, we are particularly trying to target
vulnerable groups within the community.
If you would like to find out more about Home Fire Safety Checks then please
call 0116 287 2241 to ask for a visit.’

- ENDS -

Notes to News Desk

Requests for Interviews
Joe Tasker is available for interview however he did not attend this incident and is
only able to offer safety advice relating to this fire.

Crews that attended this incident are now off duty and are not available for interview.

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

Contact Information
For more information please contact:
Corporate Communications
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service
Tel 0116 287 2241

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