FIRE chiefs in Rossendale have warned people to take care when using wood burning stoves after a call-out in Bacup. A total of 10 firefighters attended a home in Rochdale Road on Friday night after some nearby logs caught fire.

The crews were called at 9.10pm after the occupants returned from a shopping trip to find the logs alight.

Watch manager Chris Howarth said his team spent about around 45 minutes making the home safe.

He said: “Logs at the side of the wood burning stove caught fire due to the radiated heat of the stove. The couple had nipped out and returned to a smoke-filled home.

“There was light smoke damage to the rest of the property. I would remind people to be extremely careful with wood burning stoves. Don’t set combustible materials close to the fire.

“If it uses a chimney, ensure the chimney is swept regularly by someone qualified, and make sure you have a working smoke alarm.

“I can’t stress enough the importance of not setting logs beside fires. A lot of people don’t know that radiated heat can be enough to set them alight, but it can.”