Lytham man whose house burned down becomes firefighter

Mr O'Brien said he became an on-call firefighter "to give back to the community"

A man whose house burned down after he put a disposable barbecue in a wheelie bin has become a firefighter to give "something back after what happened".

Paul O'Brien put the £2 barbecue in his outdoor bin hours after using it before going to bed at his home in Lytham.

It smouldered overnight before causing a fire that spread to a fence, Mr O'Brien's car and then his home.

The 47-year-old, whose family escaped unharmed, said he took the on-call role "to give back to the community".

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) said on-call firefighters "often have another job and rather than being based at a fire station" and provided "on-call cover from home or work".

A representative said they were "trained to deal with a wide range of situations and incidents and respond to emergencies when their pager alerts them, so must live or work near the fire station".

Mr O'Brien said he and his family were woken by a knock at his door and a crackling noise at 05:00 BST

Mr O'Brien said he was inspired to sign up after the blaze on 14 June 2021, which caused "over £100,000 of damage to my home".

He said the barbecue "felt cold when I put it in the bin", adding: "I thought I knew how long the coals could smoulder for."

"I was wrong," he said.

He said he and his family were woken by a knock at his door and a crackling noise at 05:00 BST and had been able to escape before the fire engulfed the house.

The family lost all their possessions and had to live in temporary housing for two years.

Mr O'Brien, who also works as a DJ, said when they eventually returned to the area, he saw a sign outside Lytham Fire Station which was calling for new recruits and thought "now is my time".

"It's something I always wanted to do," he said.

"As a kid, it would be like 'what do you want to be when you grow up? A firefighter'."

The family lost all their possessions and had to live in temporary housing for two years.

He said it felt "as if I'm giving something back after what happened".

He said he also hoped his experience would allow him to support those affected by fires as someone who knows "how it feels".

He added that people should think twice about using disposable barbecues and to take extra care when disposing of them.

"If you do use one, submerge it in water to be certain it is no longer burning," he said.

"A £2 barbecue caused over £100,000 of damage to my home."

The LFRS representative said anyone using hot coal items should thoroughly extinguish all flames and not place anything near fence panels, decking or garden furniture.

They said hot coals should be left to cool overnight and all hot ash should be submerged in water before being binned.

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