Fire warning after Coco the dog nearly leaves family Christmas in ruins

Fire crews in Norfolk having issued a festive safety warning after a dog chewing through Christmas lights sparked a near miss for people in Dereham.

Coco the dog munched through a cable, starting a fire in the family's tree.

Luckily the mum had the sense to throw the burning tree outside and get her children outside, before two fire crews arrived to put the flames out.

A second fire, in Felthorpe, was started by a candle, which was accidentally left alight overnight.

Neighbours were alerted by a smoke alarm and noticed smoke early the next morning.

Thankfully the residents were unharmed, but their house was badly damaged by smoke before fire crews from Sprowston and Earlham turned up to make it safe.

Norfolk Fire says it highlights the dangers of leaving Christmas decorations on or unprotected and the importance of having a working smoke alarm.

Chief Fire Officer Stuart Ruff said: “This house fire shows the importance of having correctly installed, working fire alarms.

Candle related fires result in around 350 casualties each year nationally and 40% of candle fires result in injury or death.

Residents are advised to:

• Test smoke alarms throughout the house weekly

• Double check that any candles are safely positioned and blown out when no longer being used

• Check the safety of decorations, especially lights, and ensure that they’re out of reach of pets and young children

• Discuss fire safety plans with the whole family and ensure everyone knows what to do in case of emergency

You can find more information about Candle safety on the Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service website.