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Elderly couple escapes fire in Rhyl

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An elderly couple in Rhyl have had a lucky escape following a fire that had broken out in their home.

Two appliances form Rhyl were called to the incident at 20.22hrs on Sunday (11th January), and the fire was under control by 20.49hrs.

The couple had successfully evacuated the property prior to the arrival of the fire and rescue service.

The fire is thought to have been caused by a tea towel that was put in the microwave, which overheated. The towel had been disposed of in a plastic bag, but the heat from the tea towel quickly caused the plastic bag to catch fire which spread in to two rooms at the property.

The fire was confined to the conservatory and kitchen area of the property.

Gwyn Jones, County Safety Manager, said:

"These residents were extremely lucky to have escaped relatively unharmed with the gentleman receiving a precautionary check-up by paramedics. It is extremely important not to misuse electrical appliances and always follow the manufacturers' instructions; it is easy to overheat items in a microwave if care isn't taken."

"The couple was fortunate to have been alerted by their smoke alarm, which was fitted by North Wales Fire and Rescue Service  following a house fire safety check in March last year, enabling them to escape the incident unharmed. This demonstrates how important it is to install smoke alarms and to have them checked regularly - we recommend weekly."

Smoke alarms save lives. For more advice on fire safety and for the opportunity to have free smoke alarms fitted in your home, please contact North Wales Fire and Rescue Service for a free home fire safety check.

To register, please call our free 24 hour hotline on 0800 169 1234 or visit www.nwales-fireservice.org.uk or text 88365, ensuring you prefix your message with the word HFSC. And follow us on Twitter using #TestItTuesday for reminders to check your smoke alarm each week.

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