Advice from fire brigade after new portable heater episode sparks blaze in home

Firefighters have issued a reminder of their heating safety advice following a fire at a mid-terraced house in New Malden.

Half of the ground floor was damaged by the fire in Elm Road. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus rescued a man from the first floor using a smoke hood, who was treated on scene by London Ambulance Service.

The fire is believed to have been accidental and was caused by an electric fan heater.

Control Officers took the call shortly after 2.30am this morning and mobilised four fire engines and around 25 firefighters from New Malden, Surbiton and Kingston fire stations to the scene. The incident was over for firefighters an hour later.

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: “The rise in energy costs means there’s a very real risk of heating-related fires. We know that people will turn to alternative ways to keep their families warm overnight without turning on the heating, we just want to make sure that people are staying safe at the same time.

“It’s absolutely vital that heaters are kept well away from curtains, furniture, paperwork and are never used to dry clothes. Always sit at least a metre away from the heater as it could set fire to your clothes or your chair, supervise children carefully and position a heater where it won’t be knocked over and away from pets.”

“It’s also important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and ensure these items are safety registered and in good working order. If you’re using these items around children always supervise them carefully and place heaters somewhere where they won’t be accidentally knocked over and away from anything that could catch fire.”

Firefighters recommend that you have a look at our online Home Fire Safety Checker to make sure there are no hidden hazards in your home.

The online tool will ask you a series of questions that will help work out the level of risk in your home, or the home of someone you care for. It only takes a few minutes to get tailored advice to keep yourself and loved ones safe from fire.

Pictured top: The burnt out portable heater (Picture: LFB)