Pregnant mum lost everything in horror fire caused by single tealight

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A pregnant mum who lost everything in a horror house fire has warned people to be vigilant when using candles after discovering a single tealight caused a devastating blaze in her home.Cathrine Doyle warned people of the dangers after a tealight left unattended for five minutes started a fire in the living room - spreading to the kitchen, bathroom and roof.The 29-year-old had been out with a friend when her frantic partner told her to get home quickly and when she arrived at the flat in Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester, she noticed several fire engines.

Luckily, her boyfriend and youngest son made it out of the house safely, the Manchester Evening News reports. The blaze completely destroyed the flat and all of the family's new baby clothes and essentials.

Cathrine, who is 32 weeks pregnant, even feared the stress had caused early labour as she had to be rushed to hospital just days after the fire.The terrifying incident happened on Thursday, June 1, after Cathrine had gone to meet a friend and left her partner and son at the flat.She had lit a tealight earlier that day to make her living room smell 'fresh,' and had then hung some towels to dry outside on her balcony a short distance away.

It's believed that one of the towels was set alight by the candle."My partner tried putting it out himself by throwing water on it but it was so warm outside it didn't work," Cathrine said, speaking to the MEN."He started panicking so got my son out of the house.