Flat goes up in flames after student leaves tea light unnattended

She forgot about the candle on her bed


A flat on Hathersage Road was engulfed by flames when a resident got distracted and left a tea light unattended on her bed.

At 11pm on Saturday, the student returned to find her bed on fire before her and her housemate tried to tackle the blaze with an extinguisher.

Both residents, who lived on the second floor of the high-rise block of flats, were rushed to hospital for smoke inhalation and the girl suffered burns to her hands.

The blaze forced 20 other people to escape the building.

Watch Manager Ian Melville from Moss Side fire station said: “The fire had been caused by a tea-light which the girl left on the bed – she got distracted and went away and when she came back she found her bed was on fire.

“She tried to tackle the fire herself and suffered burns to her hand. The two students then used a foam extinguisher to put out the blaze.

“We wouldn’t advise anyone to try and tackle a fire themselves but it is just instinct.”

Coun David Acton, chair of the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, warned people to be vigilant when using candles.

He added: “With the nights now getting darker, more and more people will be using candles but please heed our advice to minimise your risk.

“Never leave candles unattended and remember to extinguish them before you go asleep or leave the house, make sure candles are standing up straight and are firmly fixed in a proper holder, and keep them away from flammable materials such as curtains and bedding.

“Always place candles on a heat-resistant surface – tea-lights can melt plastic surfaces such as the top of the TV and the side of a bath – and never place them under shelves or other surfaces.”

– before being taken to hospital with burns and