Overheated wheat bag in microwave causes blaze

A wheat bag left too long in a microwave is thought to be the cause of a fire which saw an elderly man rescued by fire fighters.

The fire had already gone out by the time a fire crew arrived at the house in Beaumaris, Anglesey, on Wednesday.

Four fire fighters used breathing apparatus to bring the man to safety.

An elderly woman was making her way out of the property when fire crews arrived. Both were later allowed back in after an assessment of the property.

The ground floor was covered with heavy smoke when the emergency services arrived shortly after 1600 GMT.

An ambulance was called to the scene but neither the man or woman needed hospital treatment.

Huw Roberts, Anglesey Partnership manager, said the incident demonstrates the importance of having a working smoke alarm.

He said: "The property was fitted with a smoke alarm from Gofal Mon which proved to be invaluable as it gave us early warning that there was a problem at the address and enabled us to respond immediately.

"It appears that a wheat bag left to re-heat for too long caused the fire and we are warning residents throughout north Wales who have any kind of warming device such as a wheat bag to ensure that they follow the manufacturers instructions on the items."