Cambridge fire crews needed for Christmas Day emergencies

28/12/2023

Cambridge firefighters had a busy Christmas Day as they were called to several house fires.

While many people were enjoying the festivities and tucking into a Christmas dinner, firefighters from Cambridge Fire Station’s Red Watch responded to a number of emergencies.

At 9am on Christmas morning the crews, along with the south roaming fire engine and an on-call crew from Linton, were called to a house fire involving a roof Egerton Close. The fire spread quickly from the loft resulting in significant damage to the property, meaning the family had to stay with nearby relatives. The fire was caused by an electrical fault in the loft.

Later in the day the crews were called to another house fire in Hauxton. The crews arrived at around 1pm to find a fire involving oil in a frying pan. The flames spread through the kitchen but the crews managed to prevent it going any further. The family was able to stay home following the incident.

A fire service spokesman said: “The fire was able to spread quickly due to build up cooking residue in the filters above the oven. It’s important to clean these areas regularly and keep them free of grease, as this can make a fire spread very quickly.”

There were fortunately no injuries at either incident, however both properties were badly damaged as a result of the fires.

The crews were also called to other emergencies, but these turned out to be false alarms.

A fire service spokesman added: “Residents concerned about fire safety in their home can carry out a home safety check online. Our simple to use tool goes through each room of a house and provides an action plan to help reduce the risk of fire. The tool is also really useful to carry out an assessment on an elderly or vulnerable relatives property.”

Find out more by visiting the Home Fire Safety section.