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Darwin Awards
2010 Slush Pile

This item was recently submitted by a reader.
Should I include it in the archive?
Vote to tell me what *you* think!

Man nearly kills family with tar.

2010 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

Children flee as dad's DIY ends in disaster

CHARRED: The damage to the kitchen wall on St Gregory Road in Deepdale, Preston.

View Gallery Published Date: 06 April 2010 A spot of Bank Holiday DIY ended in disaster after a pot of tar left to warm on top of a cooker exploded into flames engulfing a Preston family home. Two children were forced to flee from the house on St Gregory Road in Deepdale, Preston as fire ripped through the kitchen and dining room of the house.

The man, believed to be the children's dad, had been warming bitumen tar used to seal the roof on the hob as he worked on the flat roof of the kitchen.

Firefighters who tackled the blaze have told how the man had attempted to extinguish the blaze using a garden hose.

Crew manager Paul Rigden, of Preston fire station, said: "It had the same effect as throwing water on a chip pan fire, the flames just got fiercer and the kitchen and dining area were completely destroyed.

"It is not a clever move to heat something as flammable as bitumen on a kitchen cooker, if you are going to do a job like that you need to get the right equipment and do anything like that outside.

"There were two children in the living room and they were fortunate that they were able to get out before the fire took hold."

He said that smoke detectors in the property, which was recently sold, were fitted but did not have working batteries, meaning the man got no advanced warning.

The fire chief said: "We tell people all the time that fire alarms can save your life and your property, but if you do not have batteries in them, they are absolutely no use.

"This man was lucky that he spotted the fire when he did, especially with two children in the house at the time."

People living on St Gregory Road said the man had been fixing up the property in recent weeks, but did not appear to be living there.

No-one was available for comment when the Lancashire Evening Post visited after the fire, but the windows of the property were badly smoke damaged and burnt tar was left strewn across the back garden.

One neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: "People have been coming and going from there for the last few weeks, it looks as if they have been doing some work to the place but no-one is living there.

"I only noticed something was wrong when the fire engines turned up but you could smell the burning tar as soon as you walked out onto the street.

"It sounds as if he and his children have had a lucky escape."

Two fire crews from Preston station, on nearby Blackpool Road, attended the incident at 1.50pm on Sunday and used an extension ladder and breathing apparatus kit to tackle the flames.

Crew manager Rigden said that living room of the house was severely damaged by smoke with a first floor bedroom and the rest of the ground floor also badly smoke-logged. Part of the neighbouring property in the semi-detatched was also left burned by the incident.

The firefighter said: "We would advise anyone doing any job which involves substances like bitumen to ensure they have the right equipment before they start doing that."

Submitted on 04/06/2010

Submitted by: John Ross
Reference: 05 April 2010 http://www.lep.co.uk/news/Children-flee-as-dad39s-DIY.6205481.jp

Copyright © 2010 DarwinAwards.com

>> Moderator Scores <<

Bruce said:
Definitely Toss: No Self-Selection
Thanks, John, but there's no self-selection here since the man wasn't injured. And had either of the children been injured it would have qualified as an automatic toss based on our rules.


Shadow said:
Definitely Toss: No Self-Selection
I agree with Bruce no injuries here, lucky for everyone!


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