Electric blanket fire scare for elderly Chester man

May 18 2008 by Richard Fletcher, Chester Chronicle

AN ELDERLY man leapt up in shock when his electric blanket set fire to his bed – while he was still in it.

The heat and smoke woke up the householder, in his 60s, at 10am on Saturday, May 17. He then called the fire brigade to his house on Guildford Close, Saltney, Chester.

Four firefighters put on breathing apparatus to put out the fire before clearing the smoke from the ground floor flat.

The two engines stayed at the scene for 45 minutes. The bed was destroyed and there was smoke damage to the bedroom.

Crew manager Bob Monk of Chester Fire Station said: “His electric blanket had caught fire and set fire to the bed while he was in it. He was asleep when it started and the smoke woke him up.

“He got out sharpish.

“If people have got an electric blanket they should have them checked. They should be replaced in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and replaced every few years.”