Cigarette Causes House Fire In Coedpoeth

Firefighters were called to a fire in a property on the High Street, Coedpoeth at 00.38am this morning.

Two appliances from Wrexham attended the fire and two firefighters in breathing apparatus used a hose reel water jet to extinguish the fire.

Three people were taken to hospital suffering from slight smoke inhalation but have now been discharged.

The occupiers were alerted to the fire by the activated smoke alarms which the firefighters had installed in the property recently.

Upon investigation, the cause of the fire was established as carelessly discarded cigarette.

Andy Robb, Compliance Officer, said: “This incident clearly highlights the dangers of not extinguishing cigarettes properly in suitable containers.

“It is vital to make sure all smoking materials are put out safely, especially before bed time. The best way to cut the risk is not to smoke indoors at all. Many smoking related fires happen at night when people fall asleep or smoke in bed and furniture or fabrics are set alight.

“Worryingly, research shows that smokers are less likely than non-smokers to have working smoke alarms which could alert them to the dangers and give the chance of escape.

“If you have elderly relatives or friends who are smokers, make them aware of the possible dangers – by following the steps below they can help cut the risk of a smoking related fire in the home:

-Take extra care when you’re tired, taking any sort of drugs or have been drinking alcohol. It’s very easy to fall asleep without while your cigarette is still burning
– Never smoke in bed – if you need to lie down, don’t light up. You could doze off and set your bed on fire
– Never leave lit cigarettes, cigars or pipes unattended – they can easily overbalance as they burn down
– Buy child-resistant lighters and matchboxes – every year children die by starting fires with matches and lighters. Keep these where children can’t reach them
– Use a proper, heavy ashtray that can’t tip over easily and is made of a material that won’t burn. Make sure your cigarette is not still burning when you are finished – put it out, right out
– Tap your ash into an ashtray, never a wastebasket containing other rubbish – and don’t let the ash or cigarette ends build up in the ashtray
– Install and maintain a smoke alarm – when a fire starts, you only have a few minutes to escape. As this incident highlights, a working smoke alarm can buy you valuable time to get out, stay out and dial 999.

“To find out more about fire safety and have free smoke alarms fitted in your home, register for a free home fire safety check by visiting www.nwales-fireservice.org.uk”