Chesterfield man sets house on fire while testing portable gas heater

Three houses had to be evacuated a sa result of the blaze, which was well-developed by the time the fire brigade arrived.

Firefighters from Chesterfield, Staveley and Clay Cross attended the fire at a terraced house on Calow Lane, Hasland in Chesterfield at 8.02pm on Saturday 28 November.

On arrival at the scene firefighters were met by a well-developed fire in the ground floor front room of the property.

The two adjoining homes were evacuated to ensure the safety of the occupants while firefighters worked to extinguish the fire and ensure the gas cylinder present in the fire presented no further risk.

The occupant of the affected property had evacuated before the arrival of fire crews.

Speaking following a fire investigation into the cause of the fire, Group Manager Steve Wells, who was the Officer in Charge at the incident said: “This devastating fire shows just how easily accidents can happen leading to a fire that soon gets out of control.

“Unfortunately the occupant of the house was trying out a portable gas heater that he had bought for his caravan when it seemed to explode on lighting.

"Thankfully no one suffered any injuries as a result of the incident, but it could have been a very different story.

“As the weather is getting colder and more people will be using portable heating systems to keep warm, I’d urge people to ensure they’re used safely and correctly."