Fire in Belsize Park sheltered housing block ‘caused by cigarette’
A fire at a sheltered housing block in Belsize Park was apparently caused by a cigarette which had not been properly extinguished - Credit: Archant
A partially sighted man was led to safety by firefighters after a fire broke out in a sheltered housing block in Belsize Park yesterday evening.
The other twenty nine residents had evacuated their properties in Parkhill Road by the time the fire brigade arrived.
London fire brigade said that a smoke alarm alerted residents to the fire, which apparently gutted the ground floor refuse room where it started.
Four fire engines and around 21 firefighters and officers from Kentish Town, West Hampstead and Holloway fire stations attended the incident.
The brigade was called at 18.45 and the fire was under control by 20.03.
You may also want to watch:
Initial investigations suggest that the fire was caused by a cigarette which had not been properly extinguished.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “If you are a smoker it is vital that you take extra care. Fires caused by smoking materials - including cigarettes, roll-ups, cigars and pipe tobacco - result in more deaths than any other type of fire. Around three fires a day in London are linked to smoking and half of accidental fire deaths were related to careless disposal of cigarettes.
Most Read
- 1 'Safe and secure home' - Camden takes landlord to court over eviction threat
- 2 Car driver arrested after crash with van in Camden Town
- 3 Discovering 'rich' poetry of Hampstead Heath on guided tours
- 4 Piers Plowright obituary: BBC and Hampstead star dies at 83
- 5 Arsenal start pre-season with win over Chelsea but dealt blow with Jordan Nobbs injury
- 6 Man charged with indecent exposure and voyeurism in West Hampstead
- 7 Thames Water 'sorry' after Finchley Road diversion sees cars damaged
- 8 Charitable hospital set to open new £35m wing
- 9 Anger over Thames Water and Westminster Council's flash floods response
- 10 O2 Centre: Developer says it 'will listen' but still aiming for 1,900 homes
“It’s absolutely vital you ensure your cigarette is completely out when you’ve finished smoking it. If you don’t, you risk causing a fire which could destroy not only your home, but also your life.”
