Ex-BBC reporter and wife flee bio-ethanol fire at home

A couple were left badly burnt after fleeing for their lives when their fireplace exploded, engulfing their home in an "orange fireball".

Angela Palit, 59, described how she was blown across the kitchen, and thought she was going to die as her hair caught fire and she felt her face burning.

The horror unfolded after she arrived home to Penarth Marina, Vale of Glamorgan, from work and asked her husband, former BBC Wales reporter Nick Palit, 60, to put the fire on so she could enjoy a glass of wine.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said an investigation said the blaze was accidental and urged people to follow instructions for their specific burners.

Bio-ethanol fires are ventless fires that burn bio-ethanol, which is a renewable and clean-burning fuel made from plant-based sources that is considered more environmentally friendly than fossil fuels.

Bio-ethanol fires have the same look and feel as "living" flames but do not need to have a chimney or flue.

They do not emit smoke or ash, but they are flammable and can cause serious harm.

South Wales fire service said to never to refuel a bio-ethanol fire when they are lit or hot, to wipe up any spills before relighting and to keep them away from direct sunlight and naked flames.

Nick and Angela Palit face at least six months away from their home as it is totally rebuilt

"I caught a fireball really that I was not expecting," Ms Palit said on BBC Radio Wales.

"I was trying to put it out with a damp cloth, and it just exploded at me as I was walking towards it, and just blew me across the kitchen.

"I ended up on the floor. My hair was on fire, my face was burning, I thought I was going to die.

"And then Nick just dragged me out and said 'we need to get out'."

It was the speed "that really, really shocked us" added Mr Palit, describing the events of Tuesday 16 September.

He described it as a bio-ethanol fireplace that does not need a chimney flue, where liquid is poured on to a cotton gauze to create a "candle effect".

"We lit it as we always have done," Mr Palit added.

"We probably haven't used it for about five months because it's been summer, and it started.

Smoke, black smoke was coming off it, which was very unusual, and the smoke alarm went off almost immediately."

Mr Palit turned the fire off and went to open the patio doors to let the smoke out, adding: "I heard her screaming.

"I turned around and saw her on the floor, I saw her flying through the air, and grabbed her."

He described how they ran through the garden gate as he dialled 999, saying: "As we were on the phone to the emergency services, within less than a minute it was engulfed in an orange fireball, the whole downstairs of the house."

The couple were initially treated by paramedics at the scene, then at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, before being sent to the specialist burns unit at Swansea's Morriston Hospital.

Ms Palit suffered burns to her face and hands, while falling debris left Mr Palit with burns on his arm and elbow.

The couple are now living temporarily in Airbnb accommodation, and have been told by insurers it will take at least six months for their home to be rebuilt.

Angela Palit was left with bad burns on her hands and face

In what Mr Palit described as a "double whammy", the couple had four e-bikes, worth hundreds of pounds, that they chained together outside their home after the blaze.

When they returned from treatment on Tuesday, they were gone.

"It's obvious to anyone that's driven past, that this house has sustained a fire and is probably abandoned," said Mr Palit.

"Obviously the thieves have come along and they must have had a van and just lifted them up completely and there were four together chained together.

"The security cameras, the security lights, all of that stuff that would normally be protecting it, wasn't there."

Former Wales Today reporter Nick Palit suffered burns to his arm in the fire

To add insult to injury, a security tracker alerted him to where his bikes were, in a property two miles (3.2km) away.

He arranged to meet police officers at the building, which was a small block of flats that had six homes in it.

"But because we couldn't pinpoint which one, they weren't prepared to knock doors to find out," he said.

So despite being within metres of the bikes, they were not able to establish which of the flats they were in, and recover them.

South Wales Police has been asked to comment on the thefts.

Safety tips for bio-ethanol fires

South Wales Fire and Rescue service warned people to "never refuel bio-ethanol fires when lit or hot and be mindful to wipe up any spills before re-lighting.

"Don't overstock fuels of any type, always store bio-ethanol in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight and naked flames."

It also said owners should store the fuel in garages or sheds, and out of reach of children and pets.

"Make sure the fire is out before leaving the room or going to sleep," it added.

Owners were also warned not to move their fires when the burner is lit, and even if unlit it should be away from flammable materials.

"Keep your room well-ventilated to stop carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, we recommend having a CO detector in the same room," the fire service said.

"If using a chimney, ensure your chimney is swept at least once a year for smokeless fuels by qualified chimney sweeps."