Tamworth blaze sparked by boy, 3

A FAMILY with eight children were forced to flee their Tamworth home following a bedroom blaze – after a three-year-old boy accidentally set light to a mattress.

Fire swept through the bedroom of a house in Sorrell at around 1pm last Friday forcing the family to evacuate, calling in firefighters from Tamworth and Warwickshire.

Fire investigators said this week that the blaze had been started by the youngster who had been playing with a cigarette lighter.

A call was received from the address, off Woodland Road, Amington, at 1.02pm stating the bedroom was on fire.

One crew and appliance from Tamworth attended with two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus, tackling the blaze using one hose reel jet, a fire spokesman said.

Watch manager Mark Chaplin said: "It appears the fire started after a three-year-old boy had been playing with a cigarette lighter and accidentally set fire to a mattress.

"The family were downstairs in the living room at the time the fire took hold."

He added: "A member of the family smelled the smoke and went upstairs to the bedroom and saw the fire.

"The family immediately left the house and called the emergency services."

No-one was hurt in the incident.

Mr Chaplin said the Tamworth crew were supported by another appliance from Warwickshire which provided 'additional firefighters equipped with breathing apparatus'.

After extinguishing the blaze crews ventilated the building after smoke had spread to other parts of the house.

"There was a smoke alarm but it didn't operate because it didn't have batteries in, so we fitted smoke detectors in the property," Mr Chaplin continued.

And he warned Tamworth families to keep lighters out of reach of children.

He said: "Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service would urge people to make sure that items like cigarette lighters and matches are kept well out of the reach of children. Such items should be locked away somewhere only responsible adults can get to."

He added: "And we would ask everyone to make sure they have working smoke alarms fitted in their home."

Assistant area commander Brian Griffiths added: "Any parents or carers who have concerns regarding their children playing with fire should contact their local fire station who can offer specialist assistance and advice.

"There is a general misconception that it's only fire that kills but this is not true. Smoke can be just as deadly."

● See Fire Files, page 30, for details of other call-outs for the area's firefighters.