Dog starts house fire by turning on microwave

Kitchen left badly damaged by husky's misadventure

(PA)

A dog inadvertently sparked a fire when he turned on a microwave containing a packet of buns, firefighters have revealed.

The husky, which was home alone, was able to reach up to a kitchen counter to get to the appliance.

Once it was turned on, the packet of buns inside began to burn.

The owner of the home, in Stanford le Hope, was at work at the time, but saw the smoke in the kitchen when he happened to check a camera feed on his phone.

He dialled 999 and ​Essex fire service responded, finding when they arrived at the scene that the fire had been contained within the microwave, but the the kitchen had suffered considerable smoke damage.

The dog, however, was unharmed.

“Clearly this is a very strange incident involving the man’s dog, but it could still have been more serious,” said Geoff Wheal, watch manager at Corringham Fire Station.

“When we arrived, the kitchen was filled with smoke. Firefighters ensured that the damage did not spread beyond the kitchen area – but it demonstrates that microwaves shouldn’t be used to store food when they aren’t in use.

“Our advice is to always keep your microwave clean and free of clutter or food or any packaging. Animals or children can turn them on more easily than you might think – so please don’t run the risk,” he added.