West Belfast air freshener explosion blows out house windows
- Published
A woman has been injured falling down a flight of stairs after an air freshener exploded in her west Belfast home, causing windows to be blown out.
The explosion happened in the living room of a house in the Lagmore area at about 23:00 GMT on Saturday.
The NI Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said it was caused by an air freshener that had heated up after being placed on a wood-burning stove.
The living room and rear kitchen windows were blown out.
The 39-year-old woman was treated for pelvic injuries after falling as she came down the stairs to investigate what happened, said NIFRS Asst Group Cdr Michael Roberts.
He said it was a significant explosion and that there could have been "different circumstances" had someone been in the living room when the blast happened.
Group Cdr Roberts said the heated aerosol had ruptured causing an "overpressure" in the house, which blew out the windows.
He added that damage was "very minimal" and that an explosion of that nature was "very rare" in his 27 years as a firefighter.
"I would ask the public to be vigilant, always store any aerosol canisters away from any source of heat or naked flame."