Dog accidentally starts house fire in West Sussex
It's led to a warning from crews about smoke alarms
An excitable dog has had a lucky escape after accidentally starting a house fire in West Sussex.
The animal jumped up and switched a hob on at a home in Castle Road in Tarring, near Worthing, on Tuesday (August 1st), igniting flammable items left on top.
The incident happened while the dog's owners were out, and after smoke alarms had been taken down during a redecoration of the property.
West Sussex Fire and Rescue said teams from Worthing were called to the blaze, from which the animal escaped unharmed.
Worthing Station Manager Chris Bowles said:
"We understand that there are times, particularly during renovations, when smoke alarms are unable to be attached to the ceiling.
"However, in these instances I would urge people to keep battery-operated alarms on each level of their property to detect a fire situation should one occur.
"Statistics show that you are four times more likely to die in a fire in the home if there is no working smoke alarm, so to say it’s a life-saving piece of equipment is no understatement.
"It is always a good idea to turn electrical items off at the switch when not in use too, especially when leaving the house, to avoid any accidents or electrical fires."