Kentish Express Ashford & District
Devastating house fire started in bin
A devastating blaze in a family home was probably caused by a discarded cigarette thrown in a wheelie bin in front of the garage.
Fire crews rushed to Wood Lane, in Park Farm in the early hours of last Thursday to tackle a huge house fire.
Luckily the family inside managed to escape and a woman in her 60s was checked by paramedics at the scene.
Teams spent about two-anda-half hours tackling the blaze in the two-storey mid-terraced house, which had also spread to the neighbour’s home.
Crews wearing breathing apparatus used hose reel jets and main jets to bring the fire under control and a fog spike to contain the fire in the roof.
Crew manager Andy Harris said: “We believe it started in the scrap that was put into a wheelie bin in front of the garage.
“They went back indoors after taking out the rubbish but the cigarette end was not put out properly and the heat went up though the eaves of the house.
“They had dormer windows so it went up into those as well, spread right through and took the roof off.
“Everyone got out okay. Someone noticed the fire before their smoke alarms went off so they all got out safely.
“Most of the damage was external, but the roof had come off and there was certainly a lot of damage.
“We just want to remind people how important it is to make sure discarded cigarettes are extinguished properly.”
The exact cause of the fire is not yet known.
The British Red Cross Victim Support Unit were also called to help with rehousing the affected family.