Fatal house fire 'probably' caused by unattended tea light candle

The accidental fire occurred on Tuesday evening and saw the man pulled out of a house by firefighters on School Lane, Halesowen.

He was then treated by paramedics but could not be saved.

Police initially described the fire as not suspicious and subsequent investigations by the Fire Service have confirmed this.

The Fire Service has issued advice following this incident and another earlier in the year which saw a flat in Erdington engulfed in flames within 10 minutes due to unattended candles.

A spokesman for West Midlands Fire Service said: "Following investigations into the fire on School Lane, Halesowen, Fire Investigators believe the fire was accidental and probably caused by an unattended tea light candle.

"West Midlands Fire Service recommends using LED candles over Christmas. LED candles don’t get hot, so there’s much less risk of fire.

"If you must use real candles, never leave them unattended and always keep them away from flammable items including Christmas decorations and curtains.

"Our thoughts remain with everyone affected by this incident."

Two fire engines and one brigade response vehicle were sent to the scene, crewed by 13 firefighters from Haden Cross and Woodgate Valley.

The Fire Service has advised people to: "Keep candles out of the reach of children and pets, and away from anywhere they might knock them over.

"Place burning candles at least three inches apart so they don’t melt one another or create draughts that can cause the candles to flare.

"Always use a sturdy, heat-resistant candle holder on a heat-resistant surface that’s big enough to contain drips and melted wax."