Fire at a café - Barnes

Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters were called to a fire at a café with flats above on Church Road, Barnes.

Neighbours saw smoke coming out of the café and called 999. The flats above were empty at the time of the fire.

Watch Manager Luke Rowson, who was at the scene, said: “We believe the fire was caused by candles left unattended on a mantelpiece.

"It's lucky that no one was injured on this occasion, but this incident is a timely reminder about the importance of taking care when using candles.

“It’s really important you never leave them unattended and keep them away from curtains and anything else which can easily catch fire.”

A small part of the ground floor cafe was damaged by fire. Six people left adjacent properties before the arrival of the Brigade.

The Brigade was called at 0119 and the fire was under control at 0250. Fire crews from Hammersmith, Wandsworth, Fulham fire stations attended the scene.

How to use candles and incense safely

1. Make sure you put out any candles, incense and oil burners when you leave the room and especially before bed.
2. These items should always be held firmly in heat-resistant holders and placed on a stable surface where they won’t be knocked over.
3. Keep them away from materials that might catch fire – that's things like curtains, furniture, clothes and hair.
4. Be especially careful if you have a lot of flammable items in your home, like collections of books, magazines or papers.
5. Be aware that tea lights get very hot and without proper holders can melt through plastic surfaces like a TV or bath.
6. To avoid accidents keep candles and other naked flames out of reach of children and pets.
7. LED candles can be a great alternative – they're safe even if you fall asleep or forget to blow them out.