Three cats rescued from house fire

We have extinguished a fire at a home in Stafford and rescued three cats found inside. 

At about 6.30pm on Saturday (23 March), we got a call reporting there was a fire in the Highfields area.

The person inside at the time heard the smoke alarms going off upstairs and left the building.

We got to the scene within seven minutes and started work to contain the blaze. Up to 20 firefighters were involved at the height of the blaze.

While a group of firefighters used hose reel jets to put out the flames, others cleared the building and rescued three cats.

Thankfully, none of them were injured.

Once extinguished, we started work to investigate the cause and later deemed it to have started accidentally following an electrical fault.

Station Manager Russ Brown, who went to the scene, said: “Crews worked quickly to stop the fire from spreading and minimise the damage to the property.

“Unfortunately, faulty electrics cause around 7,000 house fires every year across the UK, on average. High-powered devices like phones, laptops, electric cars, and household appliances like tumble-dryers mean that there are lots of potential fire safety risks in the modern home.

“It’s absolutely crucial that people are aware of the risks involved around their own home and how to minimise the chances of accidents happening.”

Top tips on how to avoid accidental electrical fires:

• Don’t be tempted by cheap chargers that aren’t industry-grade standard and recommended for use with specific devices
• Keep high-powered appliances to a single plug. Don’t overload extension leads with lots of different appliances
• Repair or replace wires or appliances that are showing visible signs of damage, smoking or overheating
• Make sure all electrical appliances have a British or European safety mark when you buy them

For more information on how you can stay safe in your home, visit: Electrical safety (staffordshirefire.gov.uk)