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Fire prevented from spreading further thanks to "occupants' bedtime routine"

Damage in the bathroom was prevented from spreading thanks to the closed door (inset) <i>(Image: Tolvaddon Fire Station)</i>
Damage in the bathroom was prevented from spreading thanks to the closed door (inset) (Image: Tolvaddon Fire Station)

A house was saved from more serious damage when a fire broke out overnight – thanks to the people living there shutting the doors.

The importance of isolating rooms in the house has now been highlighted by Tolvaddon Community Fire Station, which shared photos from a recent callout.

The images show a blackened bathroom, showing extensive fire damage, after an extractor fan caught fire.

However, in a third image the other side of the bathroom door can be seen – and aside from a few black marks around the door frame, the rest of the house is unscathed.

Writing this week, Tolvaddon Fire Station said: “Red Watch, backed up by their on-call colleagues and a fire officer, had an incident where an extractor fan in a bathroom caught fire during the night last week.

“Due to the occupants closing the bathroom door as part of their bedtime routine, and our station being staffed 24 hrs a day for a quick response, the fire damage was limited to that room.

“All the occupants were out safely prior to our arrival.”

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Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service previously reported details of a fire in Redruth on January 24 this year, to which two fire engines from Tolvaddon and a fire officer were sent.

On arrival crews found that there had been an electrical fire in the bathroom.

They also checked the bathroom and surrounding area for hot spots to ensure that it was safe.

Fire door company Fireco says shutting doors at night “could be the difference between life and death.”

A closed door can slow the spread of flames, reduce toxic smoke, improve oxygen levels for the person on the other side, and keep temperatures lower.

Dedicated fire doors can take up to 60 minutes to burn through, giving time for occupants to escape via different route or call for help, and even domestic doors will slow the spread of fire considerably.