Advertisement

Cat sets fire to family home

A family of four had to flee their home after their cat set fire to it in the middle of the night.

It's thought the fire on Foxwood Avenue in Sheffield started after the family's cat walked across the hob in the night, accidentally switching it on.

A plastic toolbox which had been left on top of the hob then caught fire.

The family were alerted to the blaze by their smoke alarm and managed to get out of the house safely.

Fire crews used specialist equipment to ventilate the property.

Smoke alarms are one of the best ways of preventing deaths and injuries in house fires. If a fire does start, smoke alarms can give you an early warning, giving you the vital extra seconds needed to escape.

But smoke alarms only save lives if they are working properly. To ensure your smoke alarms are working when you need them, test them regularly by holding down the ‘test’ button until it beeps.

– Steve Helps, South Yorkshire Fire