Bathroom blaze is caused by burning ash
1:00pm Monday 20th July 2009 in News
A BLAZE destroyed a bathroom after an ashtray was left in a bin.
Firefighters were called to a flat above an off-licence shop in Preston Street, Great Lever.
The occupant of the flat had tipped an ashtray into a plastic bathroom bin before leaving for work at about 6pm on Friday.
The shop owner called the fire brigade about an hour later after smoke was seen coming from upstairs. There was no working smoke alarm in the property.
Bolton Fire Station watch commander Ian Read said: “The man had not put out the ash properly and it had smouldered away in the bin. The bathroom was burnt out and upstairs was logged with black smoke. It was lucky that no-one was sleeping, it could have been more serious.”
Fire crews spent an hour dealing with the blaze.
