Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is reminding people of the dangers of storing items next to wood-burning stoves, following a house fire last night.
Crews from Devizes (x2), Amesbury, and Salisbury were called to High Street, Tilshead at 7.47 pm on 4 December and found a house well alight. An aerial ladder platform from Swindon was used to give firefighters access to strip tiles from the roof, and a crew from Wilton attended overnight to bring the incident to a conclusion.
Although the property was severely damaged, firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading to the neighbouring house and its thatched roof.
The male occupant of the damaged house suffered from smoke inhalation and was taken to the hospital as a precaution.
An investigation found that the fire started accidentally in a ground-floor room, where items stored next to the wood-burning stove had ignited.
Group Manager Graham Kewley said: “We know that many people will be using wood burners and open fires more this winter, as they seek to keep costs down. We would urge everyone to make sure they don’t store items close to fireplaces, as built-up heat and sparks can both lead to fires starting that can then spread to the room. We also recommend having chimneys swept regularly, and to only burn wood that is dry and not covered in paint.”
More advice on keeping warm safely this winter can be found at www.dwfire.org.uk/save-safely
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