BBQ blaze destroys house and car

  • Published
House near Nefyn gutted by fire
Image caption,
The fire badly damaged the property near Nefyn, Gwynedd, and destroyed a car

A house and car have been destroyed in a blaze after barbecue embers were put next to a wheelie bin before they had properly cooled down.

The barbecue set the bin alight near Nefyn, Gwynedd, which then set fire to a central heating oil tank.

As the fire spread it caused a vapour explosion and running liquid fire which reached the house and car.

North Wales Fire and Rescue service warned about the need to dispose of barbecue remains carefully.

"It just goes to show how careful you need to be when discarding of barbecue embers," said Huw Roberts, from the fire service.

"The incident destroyed property and possessions but it could easily have been worse and led to injury and the loss of life," he added.

Safety tips

Mr Roberts said there were safety rules which had to be followed.

"During the summer months, grass and vegetation is generally dry, which means if you accidentally start a fire outdoors it will spread very quickly, destroying everything in its path," he said.

"Add a light summer breeze to the equation and the fire will spread even more rapidly," he added.

Safety tips included keeping a bucket of water, a bucket of sand or a garden hose nearby in case of emergencies, he said.

Other tips included making sure the barbecue is placed safely and to make sure it is completely cold before the ashes are put into a dustbin or wheelie bin.

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