FIREFIGHTERS rescued a woman from her house after she accidentally set fire to a wheelie bin.

The woman overheated a wheat bag, used to relieve pain and stress, in a microwave before placing it in her bin, causing the fire. Flames spread to nearby conifers and damaged her conservatory.

Crews from Huntingdon, Ramsey and Chatteris were called to the house in Slade Close, Ramsey, shortly after 11pm on Sunday night and rescued the uninjured woman.

Scott Feveyear, crew commander at Ramsey said: “Fortunately some quick firefighting stopped the fire from spreading to the house, apart from some damage to the outside of the conservatory.

“It can be easy to accidentally put something in the microwave for too long, especially if you are feeling under the weather so it is vitally important to take extra care when using wheat bags.

“Also make sure not to dispose of anything hot in a wheelie bin, where it can easily set fire to flammable rubbish. Keeping the wheelie bin away from anything flammable such as trees will help to ensure that if a fire does start it is less likely to spread.”

• ARSONISTS set fire to a tree in Eaton Socon last night.

A fire crew from St Neots were sent to reports of trees on fire at the back of Wheatsheaf Road at 4.45pm.

Firefighters arrived to find a fire in a hollow tree that had spread to fallen branches on the ground. They used a portable pump to use water from a nearby open source to put out the fire.

It is believed the fire was started deliberately.

• FIREFIGHTERS were called to extinguish a bonfire after smoke started to drift across a road in Papworth Everard last night.

A crew from Papworth extinguished the bonfire, made of several large logs, at the back of the Bluebell Woods Business Park, in Farm Road, at 6.25pm.

A fire service spokesman said: “Under the Highways Act 1980, anyone starting a fire near a road and letting smoke drift across, endangering traffic, faces a fine.”