UPDATED: Fire leaves flat badly damaged (From Bournemouth Echo)

Fire leaves flat on Coronation Avenue in Moordown badly damaged

7:00pm Friday 23rd November 2012 in News By Steven Smith

THREE people escaped from a blaze that left their flat uninhabitable in the early hours of Friday morning.

Firefighters from Redhill Park, Springbourne and Westbourne were called to a flat above a shop on the corner of Wimborne Road and Coronation Avenue, Moordown, at 3.24am.

They were called after smoke was seen coming from the flat.

When they arrived those living inside, believed to be a man, his partner and her son, had escaped to safety.

The fire, which a fire service spokesman said was believed to have been started by a faulty fridge, destroyed the kitchen and left the rest of the flat severely smoke-damaged.

Brett Ainley, who runs the PC shop underneath the flat, said: “They’re all fine and we just have some water damage.

“The landlord had mains smoke alarms put in – luckily they are loud and alerted them to the fire.

“There were flames pouring out of the window and the fire brigade put a ladder up and broke in to put the fire out.

“I’m glad the shop is alright and they’re okay – at least nobody was hurt and they got out safely.”

Landlord Gordon Richards, who owns the building which houses the flat and shop, added: “There were no injuries or anything, which is the main thing.”