Dishwasher causes flat fire in Redditch (From Redditch Advertiser)

Dishwasher causes flat fire in Redditch

11:50am Friday 15th March 2013 in News

HEREFORD & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS) was called to a fire at a property in Wharrington Close, Redditch, just before 9am on Wednesday, March 13.

Crews from Redditch and Bromsgrove attended, and a fire in the kitchen of a ground floor flat was extinguished with four firefighters in breathing apparatus and the use of one hose reel.

Firefighters also used a thermal imaging camera to check the fire was fully extinguished and positive pressure ventilation fans to help clear the smoke.

No one was hurt but the dishwasher was destroyed in the blaze, and there was fire damage in the kitchen and smoke damage throughout the rest of the flat.

Station Commander Steve Fox from HWFRS said: “This was a fairly serious fire which could have had devastating consequences for the family if it had started at night.”

Confirming that the fire was caused by a fault with the dishwasher, he urged people not to set their dishwashers and other electrical appliances to run when the house is unoccupied or when they go up to bed at night.

He also recommended that electrical appliances in the home are regularly serviced.

The property was fitted with a working smoke alarm and he urged everyone to ensure their own smoke alarms are working properly and to get into the habit of testing them regularly.