Second house fire in Henley in a week

FIREFIGHTERS called to a fire at a house in Henley yesterday say smoke alarms prevented any major damage.

Crews from Henley, Wallingford, High Wycombe and Reading were called to the property in South Avenue at noon after a neighbour heard the alam and dialled 999.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus went inside and tackled the fire in the kitchen as well as searching the property.

The owner was out but returned shortly afterwards.

Incident commander Nick Windsor said: “This could have been a lot worse. Luckily the property had working smoke alarms on each floor which alerted the neighbour to the fire and meant we could be on scene without delay and minimise the damage to the property.

“I urge the public to ensure that they have a working smoke alarm on each level of their home and to test them weekly — and please ensure that you switch off your kitchen appliances before leaving your house.”