Rastrick man’s quick actions prevent isolated garage fire becoming more serious

The fire, which is believed to have been caused by a faulty electrical consumer unit, happened at a house in Toothill Bank, Rastrick, at around 9.30am today (Saturday).

There was a power cut at the house and the owner went in to the garage to see if the fuse had tripped. Confronted by a fire, he quickly extinguished the flames using a nearby hose pipe.

When crews from Brighouse and Elland arrived, the fire was out and the firefighters secured the property and contacted the Yorkshire Electricity Board (YEB) to turn off the power.

Only minor smoke damage was caused to the property, but Brighouse Watch Manager Nigel Dodd said it could have been a lot worse.

“They were very fortunate it happened during the day,” he said. “If it had happened at night it could have been a lot more serious.

“Their presence of thought to do something about it immediately meant it was extinguished by the time we got there. We just had to secure the property and wait for the YEB to come.”