Couple return home to find house ravaged by fire in Wolverhampton
A couple returned from work to find their home in Wolverhampton ravaged by fire.
The blaze was spotted by a retired fireman who forced entry to the address at around 7.45pm on Friday in case anybody was trapped inside the semi detached property in Cadman Crescent, Fallings Park.
The man - who asked not to be named - discovered the ground floor was deserted and was unable to check upstairs because of smoke billowing from the fire.
A crew from the nearby Fallings Park fire station raced to the scene and firefighters wearing breathing apparatus put out the blaze which had started in an upstairs bedroom.
An oil fired radiator had overheated and set fire to clothing that was hung nearby. The flames then spread to the bed before engulfing the rest of the room, said Watch Commander Brian Worrallo.
He added: "At this time of the year when people are battling to keep warm they must be aware of the potential danger of leaving clothing too close to heaters like these. They can cause just as much damage as an open fire."
Fire crews said the bedroom was gutted and half the upstairs of the house was badly fire damaged while the rest of the property had been damaged by smoke forcing the couple who live there to stay with family members.
