FIREFIGHTERS saved a home from going up in flames after incense materials were not disposed of properly.

A crew from Didcot Fire Station was sent out at 8.05pm on Wednesday to a report of a house fire somewhere on the town's Ladygrove estate.

The caller had returned home to discover their house was full of smoke.

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On arrival, the property was found to be heavily smoke logged and firefighters equipped with breathing apparatus entered and extinguished the fire on the ground floor.

They used a high-pressure hose and ventilated the property to clear the smoke.

As the two occupants attempted to tackle the fire themselves before calling 999, firefighters treated them for smoke inhalation.

South Central Ambulance Service also attended and an investigation officer from Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service found that the most likely cause of the fire was due to incorrect disposal of incense materials.

The fire service said that while it appreciated that some people feel an ‘instinctive reaction’ to try and deal with a fire in their home, it always recommends that on the discovery of a fire, residents should get to a place of safety and call emergency services.

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The crew took photos of one of the rooms in the house that suffered from heat damage and another that suffered from smoke damage, as the adjoining door was closed at the time of the fire.

The fire service says that this illustrates the importance of closing doors as part of a night time routine.

Further information and advice on fire safety can be found at www.365alive.co.uk.

For community safety questions, call the free phone helpline on 08000 325 999 or email community.safety@oxfordshire.gov.uk