Hair straighteners cause fire in flat

Two women escaped from a fire which broke out in their flat in Ruxley Court on Tuesday morning.

The fire started when hair straighteners that had been left switched on, over heated and set fire to a pile of clothes.

Luckily the occupants were alerted by the smoke alarm and managed to get out of the flat quickly. They were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation. The fire damaged carpets and contents of the flat and the rest of the building suffered smoke damage.

Brian Griffiths from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We urge people to make sure they have turned off all electrical appliances when they have finished using them and before leaving the house. Electrical items, such as hair straighteners, irons or heaters, should not be placed near to combustible items which are likely to overheat and catch fire. We would also advise people not to use such appliances when they are under the influence of alcohol as it is very easy to forget that they are switched on, or they may even fall asleep. Fortunately the property was fitted with a smoke alarm which alerted the occupants to the fire, giving them enough time to get out safely.”