House blaze in Accrington caused by 'freak accident' (From Lancashire Telegraph)

House blaze in Accrington caused by 'freak accident'

8:38am Monday 30th January 2012 in Hyndburn By Nafeesa Shan, Reporter

FIREFIGHTERS tackled a blaze that was caused by a ‘freak accident’ last night.

Officers said the blaze, at a converted barn in Accrington, was likely to have started due to a reading lamp that had been left on.

Fire and smoke was seen bellowing from the property in the Plantation Road area of Accrington, when crews from Accrington, Haslingden and Rawtenstall, arrived around 9.10pm.

The occupiers of the home had been out at the time of the fire.

Crews said the fire was so fierce that the staircase at the property collapsed so firefighters used a ladder between the floors to stop the blaze form spreading into the roof.

It took more than an hour to bring the fire was under control.

Acting watch manager Liam Barker described the fire as a ‘freak accident’ when investigations revealed that the likely cause of the fire was a reading lamp that had been left on.

He also urged people to ensure they had a working smoke alarm in their properties.

The stairway, gallery and 40 square metres of the first floor landing was wrecked by the fire and there was smoke and water damage to nine other rooms in the property.