Firefighters battled a blaze at a house in St Ives after towels were left too close to a slow cooker.

At 10.51am yesterday (Monday) a crew from Huntingdon, one from Cambridge and one from Ramsey were called to a house in Pettis Walk. Smoke was billowing from the semi-detached property and they extinguished the fire before clearing the smoke with fans. No one was in the house when it started.

Station commander Gavin Hammond said: “This fire started as combustible materials, namely towels, were left very close to a slow cooker that had been left on for a considerable period of time.

“There were working smoke alarms in the property, however, all the doors were left open meaning considerable smoke damage has been caused throughout the house.

“We would recommend residents remember to shut the doors in their house when they both go to bed and leave the property, as this helps prevent a fire from spreading and can dramatically reduce the amount of damage caused by smoke.

“Also, let this be a timely reminder to people to be cautious when leaving combustible materials near to electrical items as things can quickly heat up and start a fire.”