Bee Fumigation Bid Causes Fire In Chiswick

Fire Brigade tackle blaze caused by burning incense

A man accidentally caused a fire in Chiswick yesterday (May 14) after using incense in an attempt to rid his home of bees.

London Fire Brigade sent four units and twenty fire fighters from four stations to the scene at Kingswood Road after the fire started in the loft of the house where incense had been left burning.

The Brigade said that the smouldering incense sticks set fire to clothing being stored nearby and the flames subsequently ignited the roof. Around half of the house’s loft was damaged by fire.

Pic- Jonathan Acton

The alarm was raised around 1.30 in the afternoon and firefighters were on the scene within minutes. Fire crews quickly discovered the fire in the loft and got to work to extinguish the flames.

Alan Allmark, Watch Manager at Park Royal Fire Station, was at the scene, and said:

“The man had discovered a bee’s nest in his loft and was using an incense fumigation product to try and get rid of them. We believe he left the incense burning whilst he went to the shops to buy some more. It’s really dangerous to leave anything burning in your home if you’re not keeping a close eye on it at all times.

Pic- Jonathan Acton

He added: “If you think you’ve got a problem with bees or wasps, it’s much safer to call an expert than try and sort it out yourself.

“Fortunately, due to the quick actions of the firefighters, the fire damage was limited to part of the loft. The blaze could have been much worse if crews hadn’t acted so quickly.”

May 15, 2014