The flames didn't reach her but smoke inhalation did!

At this time of year, many people turn to tea lights and other candles to provide a warm, homely atmosphere against the chill of dark nights.

However, often they do not exercise sufficient care when using what are effectively incendiary devices if left unattended - especially if you forget about them when you go to sleep.

The press is littered with reports of tealights being responsible for domestic fires, including this one from February regarding a flat in Tooting, where the London Fire Brigade were called to a blaze which they believe was caused by a tea light which had been left on top of a television in the ground floor kitchen.

Rather than using a fire resistant holder or ceramic plate, this tea light had been put onto a plastic plate which melted and allowed the flame to pass through to the television underneath.

People dont realise that the metal containers can reach temperatures that are hotter than a kitchen oven and are particularly dangerous when placed on top of surfaces like a television. The casing of a television is plastic and will begin to bubble before the heat of the candle begins to melt its way through that into the innards with potentially lethal consequences.

There were no smoke alarms in the building and the flat was heavily damaged by smoke, whilst the kitchen was destroyed. The woman who lived there with her young daughter only awoke because she heard a noise coming from the kitchen. Fortunately both they and the occupant of the upstairs flat escaped from the building unharmed. It took four fire engines and 20 firefighters from Tooting, Wimbledon and Mitcham four hours to bring the blaze under control.

There is a large build up of smoke and without smoke alarms the results can be deadly - as evidenced by the post mortem examination of the young victim of such a fire in the first video. It was not the heat or the flames but the deadly smoke which killed her.

There were no smoke alarms in the Tooting building and the flat was heavily damaged by smoke, whilst the kitchen was completely destroyed. The woman who lived there with her young daughter only awoke because she heard a noise coming from the kitchen. Fortunately, both they and the occupant of the upstairs flat escaped from the building unharmed. It took four fire engines and 20 firefighters from Tooting, Wimbledon and Mitcham four hours to bring the blaze under control.

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We understand the business owners have a duty to ensure their property and employees are safe from fire. At Spy Alarms, we provide businesses and homeowners with unbiased and honest advice on what needs to be done to ensure their property is safe from the threat of a fire. For a FREE site survey, please get in touch with us today.