A home in Belfast has been wrecked in a fire which was caused by an electric bike being left on the charge.
Residents of the property on Melrose Street in South Belfast were awakened in the early hours of Wednesday morning by their smoke detectors. They were later rescued from the house by the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service.
The fire service was called to the scene at 2.39am this morning, and the incident was dealt with by 3.37am. In an appeal on social media, the public has been urged to avoid leaving appliances on charge unattended, with the NIFRS emphasising how vital it is that smoke alarms are working properly.
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Sharing photos of significant damage in the aftermath of the blaze, a spokesperson for NIFRS East said: "Pictures of a house fire in early hours of this morning in South Belfast. Crews from Cadogan, Central and Springfield Stations rescued two persons using ladders.
"Residents of property awakened by working smoke detectors. Fire caused by electric bike being left on charge. Please make sure nothing is left charging overnight and unattended and make sure you have working smoke detectors."
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