Home gutted by tealight blaze

A Peterborough house has been gutted by fire after a tealight left on a television set caused a large blaze in the property.

Crews from Dogsthorpe and Stanground fire stations were called to the large house fire in Burghley Road near the city centre at about 9.20pm on Wednesday July 13.

Firefighters arrived at the two-storey property to find flames coming out of a window.

Parts of the building were left as a shell after the flames ripped through the house as the fire took hold.

Charred debris could be seen in the front yard, while severe smoke damage could be seen on the outside of the building.

Now residents are being urged to take extra care with candles and other naked flames to avoid similar disasters happening in Peterborough again.

The crews had to wear breathing apparatus to get close enough to tackle the flames, and they used two hose reels and a covering jet to extinguish the fire.

The road was closed to traffic while the firefighters tackled the blaze.

Crews spent nearly an hour and a half at the scene, and returned to their stations by 10.45pm.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service urged residents to be careful with candles following the fire.

He said: “Please remember to take care with candles and extinguish them before going to bed or leaving the room or house, place on a flat surface and keep them away from curtains and other flammable furnishings.”

No one was injured in the fire, but the owners of the property, which was rented out, told the Peterborough Telegraph that the house’s immediate neighbours had to spend the night at their grandparents due to “massive smoke damage”.

Other residents living near the house were told to leave their homes for a short time while the firefighters worked at the scene.

For more fire safety advice visit www.cambsfire.gov.uk

The home following the blaze