A SINGLE candle destroyed a home and nearly killed two people when it started a fire in block of flats.

Firefighters were called to the blaze in the early hours of Tuesday, December 18, after a flurry of 999 calls from residents of the flats in Croxley View, Watford.

Two teams fought the flames, with four men in breathing apparatus going into the building.

Other officers evacuated residents and secured the area. About 20 people live in the block.

Sub Officer Lee Bishop of White Watch was in charge of the rescue effort.

He said there was thick, black smoke everywhere and said the flat had been left uninhabitable by the fire.

The home had only recently been decorated.

Plaster was melted from the walls which were stained black.

The two occupants, a teenager and a woman in her 30s, were taken to Watford General Hospital suffering serious smoke inhalation. Others at the scene had to be given oxygen.

Mr Bishop said a candle had been left alight in a study. It set fire to something hanging on the back of the door. The destroyed flat did not have a smoke alarm.

He said: "It was quite nasty, with the potential to be even worse.

"They haven't got anywhere to live over Christmas."

In recent weeks, Hertfordshire firefighters have been pushing a campaign warning of the dangers of candles. They have handed out 15,000 leaflets entitled "Don't use a candle at Christmas".

Mr Bishop said: "They create a very nice ambience, but it's not a very nice ambience in the flat at the moment."

He said: "We had some very serious fires last year, including some fatalities.

"We don't want the same thing to happen again and must get the message across."

Mr Bishop appealed for anyone without a smoke alarm to have one fitted free of charge by his team.

For more information about smoke alarms, telephone Watford fire safety on 01923 471399.

December 19, 2001 22:00