Faulty tumble dryer catches fire in Douglas (Isle of Man, UK) - No injury

An electrical fault within a tumble dryer is believed to have been the cause of a fire in a house in Douglas, Isle of Man, UK, on Monday 21 November 2011. Fire crews were called to a house in Heather Crescent in Pulrose at 3.12pm to reports of a tumble dryer on fire. The firefighters extinguished the fire before clearing the smoke away with a motorised fan. The occupier of the house escaped uninjured and the damage caused by the fire was confined to the tumble dryer and some electrical wiring nearby.

Beko fridge freezer causes house blaze in Barnoldwick, UK - 2 injured

John (68) and Tina (66) Botterill’s three-storey cottage in Walmsgate, Barnoldwick (UK) has been gutted by the blaze in their which left them hospitalised just after 2 a.m. on Friday 11 November 2011. The couple were shocked to learn the cause of the fire was their fridge freezer, a Beko model which has been subject to a product recall because of reports of a faulty defrost timer. “It is amazing something like that can cause so much damage.” Tina was left with a broken finger and she and John were hospitalised because of smoke inhalation.

A spokesman for the appliance firm said: “Beko has been in contact with Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service to understand more about this incident and will remain in close contact with them as they undertake their investigations.” Anyone concerned about their Beko fridge freezer can check the safety warning model list at www.beko.co.uk or call the free phone number 0800 009 4837.

Faulty fridge causes fire at County Council in Mold (Flintshire), UK - No injury

On monday 7 November 2011, around at 7.30pm, firefighters were called to Flintshire County Council headquarters in Mold, UK, after reports of a blaze. Crews were sent to the scene, but the fire had gone out on arrival. A spokeswoman for North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said the cause of the incident was a faulty fridge in an office on the second floor.

Three-seater sofa and chair causes deadly house fire in Teignmouth, UK - 1 dead

Peter Ward, 46-year-old man who has been trapped into a fire that enghulfed on the evening of Thursday 3 November 2011 his terraced New Quay Street cottage in Teignmouth (UK) died after he was rescued by firefighters. The seat of the fire was focused on a three-seater sofa and chair in the ground floor living room. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Coventry-born Mr Ward was divorced. The cause of death has been ascertained as carboxyhaemoglobin poisoning. The inquest was told there are no suspicious circumstances. Mr Ward's dog also died.

Mattress ignited by a cigarette causes one casualty - 1 injured

A blaze at a home in Dock Road, Chatteris (UK) at around 3.45am on Wednesday the 12th of Octobre 2011 after neighbours heard the smoke alarm. A man was rescued from the house suffering from smoke inhalation. The fire is believed to have been caused by a dropped cigarette on the mattress. Mick Jackman, station commander for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “A fire started by a dropped cigarette is more likely to injure you as it starts so close by, and it only takes a small amount of toxic smoke to render you unconscious. This incident could have been a lot worse if not for the working smoke alarm” ...and the British-standard compliant mattress !

Tumble dryer catches fire in Upton Rocks, Widnes, UK - No injury

A tumble dryer caught fire at a house in Upton Rocks (Widnes, UK) on the ground floor of a three-storey house in Lingfield Park, at 7.40pm on Saturday 1 octobre 2011. A smoke alarm alerted two young women, who had time to escape the blaze. Firefighter Steve O’Neill, said: “We had to act quickly as the tumble dryer was underneath the boiler so we had to isolate the gas very quickly." The fire caused severe damage to a utility room and light smoke damage throughout the house.

Faulty dishwasher caused a fire in Worcester Park (Surrey), UK - No injury

A family of four evacuated their home after a faulty dishwasher caused a fire in the early hours of Thursday 9 June 2011 in Caldbeck Avenue, Worcester Park (Surrey, UK) just after midnight. The smoke alarm had not sounded because its battery was flat, but the lucky familly had the right reaction after smelling smoke. By chance, the kitchen door had been closed the fire could not spread as quickly.

Lit cigarette sparks a pensioner's wheelchair cushion and clothes - 1 dead

Catherine Blud, 83, was a pensioner who burned to death at her home at Tong End (Whitworth, Rochdale, United Kingdom) on April 8 2011. The inquest heard the cigarette seems to have ignited the cushion which set fire to Mrs Blud’s clothing. A post-mortem into Mrs Blud’s death found that she had died as a result of severe burns rather than smoke inhalation. The inquest investigated the chair she was sitting in because it was an electric chair and all the wiring but that was all fine. The fire seems to have started on a cushion on the chair and would then have ignited her clothes.

Steel frame bed mattress burst into flame after three-years-old child plays with matches - 1 dead, 3 injured

Toddler Leo Messam, aged 23 months, died after a fire broke out at his home in Myrtle Street (Crewe, UK) at about 8.30am in the morning of Sunday 21st November 2010. His mum Charlotte Banks (22) dad Taurean Messam (23) and brothers Tyrese (3) and Dannon (3 months) were taken to Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation and shock. The toddler was pronounced dead on arrival at Hospital. He died from smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning. This was an accident as a result of the mattress being ignitable by a child playing with matches. The fire had begun in the bedroom where three year-old brother slept alongside his younger brother Leo. The source of the fire was discarded matches. The seat of the fire was a steel frame bed which had a polyurethane mattress which would ignite very quickly and produced an impenetrable barrier of smoke and flame which prevented from getting into the bedroom to rescue Leo. All that remained was the steel frame. The heat was so intense that the steel had lost its strength and had started sagging. The cot itself, where Leo died, didn’t have a great deal of fire damage, suggesting it was mainly radiated heat which affected it.

Oven starts kitchen blaze in Waterlooville, UK - 1 injured

On Sunday the 3rd of May 2009, around midnight, a woman put her oven on in her kitchen in the aim of cooking, but fell asleep shortly afterwards, in Chaffinch Gardens, Wecock, Waterlooville (UK). It burned through the night before smoke started pouring from the front door of the flat at about 5.30am. A smoke alarm alerted the elderly couple living next door and firefighters from Waterlooville had to break in and make their way through thick black smoke to get to the woman. The officers looked through the letterbox and could see it was coming from the cooker. The woman has been transfered to the hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

Electrical fault causes fire at St Mellons Golf Club (Cardiff), UK - 2 injured

A fire broke out at St Mellons (Cardiff, UK) Golf Club on Friday morning, the 1st of May 2009 around 9:40am. South Wales Fire and Rescue Service were called to the blaze and 6 firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the building with a hose reel and safety jet to extinguish the fire. Pressure ventilation was also used to clear the smoke. Two people were taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhulation. The golf course remained open over the weekend but the clubhouse was closed.

TV Set catches fire in pensioner's house in Gorleston, UK - 1 injured

On Thursday the 30th of April 2009 shortly before midday, an alert passer-by may have helped save the life of a 98-year-old man by warning him of a fire at his Gorleston (UK) bungalow, in Bately Avenue. The fire started in his lounge television. Mr Donatz was taken to the James Paget University Hospital to receive treatment for smoke inhalation. The blaze, which devastated the bungalow's lounge and kitchen, left Mr Donatz temporarily homeless. Two fire crews from Yarmouth took 30 minutes to put out the blaze, caused by an electrical fault in the television.

Microwave oven starts kitchen fire in Brampton, UK - 1 injured

A fire broke out in Miller Way on Monday the 27th of April 2009 in Brampton, United Kingdom, just after 1pm. The elderly woman living there had to be given oxygen by the firefighters medical services after she suffered smoke inhalation. The fire was caused by a microwave oven that caught on fire in her kitchen. Damages to the kitchen are limited.

Smoking material sparks a couch in fire, in Alsager, UK - 0 injured

Fire crews were called to a blaze at an Alsager house in the early hours of Thursday the 23rd of April 2009 just before 2.20am. The fire started in a sofa on the ground floor living room of the property on Woodland Court. Firefighters remained at the property for an hour and a quarter. It is believed the fire was sparked by smoking materials. No one was injured in the fire.

TV burst into flames in Gwernaffield, UK - No injury

A TV burst into flames because of an electrical fault on Wednesday the 22nd of April 2009, when a five year old turned it on while his parents were in bed. Little Luke Davison was praised for his quick thinking after he shut the lounge door to stop acrid smoke billowing through the house. He then cooly ran upstairs to rouse his sleeping mum and dad at their home in Tan Yr Hafod, Gwernaffield, UK. Luke’s mum Kirsty got him out the house while dad Jimmy, chef at the Bryn Howell in Llangollen, managed to put out the blaze.

Electrical fault causes house blaze in Hove (Brighton), UK - No injury

One flat was destroyed and another badly damaged in a fire at a squat in Hove, UK, early on wednesday, the 22nd of April 2009 in Brunswick Street East. The blaze is thought to have started two hours before firefighters were called at about 1.55am. Investigators believe it was caused by an electrical fault where cables had been connected to a wall. There was nobody in the building at the time but neighbours had to be evacuated as smoke spread.

Extractor fan causes blaze in "Lord Nelson" pub, in Urmston (Manchester), UK - No injury

An electrical short circuit in an extractor fan sparked off a fire in toilets at the Lord Nelson pub on Stretford Road, Urmston (Manchester), UK shortly after midnight on Tuesday the 21st of April 2009. The blaze was tackled by firefighters using a hose reel and wearing breathing apparatus. A positive pressure fan was later used to remove smoke from the pub which was closed at the time. Nobody was hurt in the incident.

Electrical fault causes Bus fire in Scunthorpe, UK - No injury

Crews from Humberside Fire and Rescue Service were called out when a bus caught fire on Tuesday the 21st of April 2009 around 6.55am at Scunthorpe, UK, on Lindum Street Bus Station. The fire was in the engine compartment of the single-deck vehicle and is believed to have been caused by an electrical fault. Fire officers have confirmed nobody was injured and said an ambulance was not called to the scene.

Coach catches fire at London Stansted Airport - No injury

On Monday the 20th of April 2009, around 6pm, a coach caught fire as it travelled along Long Border Road at Stansted Airport. The driver and eight passengers escaped unhurt the vehicle, which was operated by Excel Coaches. The coach was badly damaged in the blaze, which broke out at the back of the vehicle. Andrew Monk, officer in charge of the Stansted Fire Service, said: “We spent an hour there dealing with the fire; it caused considerable damage to the rear of the vehicle.” The cause seem to be an electrical fault.

Candles ignite tablecloth and cause blaze in London, UK - No injury

In the middle of the night of Monday 20th of April 2009, around 3.30am candles started a house fire in East London in Cheshire Street, Bethnal Green. Novelty candles used as 'floating lights' were left in their small metal containers directly on a tablecloth. The containers overheated and ignited the cloth in one of the women's bedroom-but she woke up in time and alerted her flatmates. All four got to safety before the fire-brigade arrived.The bedroom was totally gutted and there was some smoke damage in other rooms in the three-storey maisonette.