UPDATE: Fire caused by tea light left flats uninhabitable (From Your Local Guardian)

Tooting fire caused by tea light left flats uninhabitable

5:23pm Tuesday 7th February 2012 in Wandsworth By Alexandra Rucki

A fire believed to be caused by a tea light left two flats uninhabitable last night.

Firefighters spent four hours battling the blaze at a ground floor flat in St Cyprians Street, Tooting, which did not have smoke alarms.

The London Fire Brigade think it started after a tea light was left on top of a television in the kitchen of the flat.

Four fire engines and a fire investigation team were called just after 10.30pm, putting it under control by 2.30am.

A woman living in the flat was alerted to the fire when she heard noise coming from the kitchen.

The woman, her daughter and a woman living in the flat above escaped the flat before fire crews arrived.

Nobody was injured.

The kitchen and the rest of the flat was heavily damaged by smoke, whilst the flat above was also damaged.

Watch manager John Kiernan said: "This just goes to show how dangerous candles and tea lights can be, especially if you don't keep a close eye on them.

"It's vital to place tea lights in fire resistant holders and to put them on a heat resistant surface like a ceramic plate."

Firefighters are visiting the street tonight to offer free home fire safety visits and fit smoke alarms.

Visit london-fire.gov.uk/homefiresafetyvisit.asp