Firefighters remind residents of importance of smoke alarms after fire in Smith Street, Lees

Crews were called to Smith Street, in Lees at around 3.40am on Monday to reports of a fire in the living room of a property.

The occupants of the house had been awoken by the smoke alarm and had vacated the property.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the small fire, which had been caused by a large amount of ash in an ashtray.

Watch manager Phil Courtnell said: "This incident demonstrates the importance of having a smoke alarm.

"The occupants were alerted to the fire and were able escape.

"This could easily have been a serious fire.

"We would also advise those who smoke to ensure they correctly dispose of cigarettes and ash from ashtrays, making sure they are completely extinguished before throwing them away and using water to dampen the ashtray."