Smog the cat causes South Yorkshire house fire as family sleeps
- Published
Firefighters were called to Foxwood Avenue in Sheffield in the early hours of the morning
A cat called Smog caused a house blaze by switching on the kitchen hob in the middle of the night as its owners slept.
Fire crews were called to Foxwood Avenue, Sheffield at 04:30 GMT after the family were woken by a smoke alarm.
They believe the cat walked across the top of the halogen cooker, accidentally switching it on and setting fire to a plastic toolbox on top of the hob.
The fire service said the family and Smog managed to leave safely.
A similarly named calamitous cat features in a children's book and a supermarket Christmas advert
Elements of the story mirror the similarly named Mog the cat's unfortunate escapades in the children's book Mog's Christmas Calamity.
Mog is the star of the Sainsbury's Christmas TV advert, accidentally turning on an oven and destroying a Christmas tree.
Spencer Rowland, station manager, said: "Smog the cat is doing fine after some checks at the vets.
"Unfortunately this isn't the first time we have had pets starting fires, so it just goes to show they can start when we least expect them."