Scented candle sparks house blaze

Mar 11 2010 by Hywel Trewyn, North Wales Weekly News

Scented candle sparks house blaze

A SCENTED candle smouldering on the side of a plastic bathtub sparked a house blaze.

The bathroom and a bedroom were gutted in the blaze at a house in Betws y Coed last Friday.

Luckily the man living in the house had gone to work when the fire started and no-one was hurt.

The fire service was alerted by a member of the public. Their prompt response meant the fire was put out before it could spread further into the roof.

Fifteen firefighters – from Blaenau Ffestiniog, Betws y Coed and Llanrwst, as well as an aerial ladder platform from Llandudno – rushed to the scene at 7.30am.

Fire officer Aled Thomas said: “The fire was quite bad in the bathroom and bedroom. There was also smoke damage to the rest of the house. Luckily there was nobody home when the fire started.”

The householder was said to be “distressed” after the blaze at his traditional stone built house, Craigside, just off the A5.

Fire investigator Russ Vaughan said: “The fire is thought to have been caused when a scented candle was left on the side of the bathtub when the occupant left the house.

“Although the occupier believed he had extinguished the candle, it appears it was either still smouldering or had reignited. Candles can be extremely dangerous. Naked flames should never be left unattended – it only takes a few minutes for a small fire to develop into a serious and life threatening fire.”