Firefighters are highlighting the dangers of leaving lights and heaters too close to soft furnishings and clothing following a family's lucky escape from a fire in their home on Sunday morning, 22^nd March 2015.

Firefighters from Bangor and Menai Bridge were called to the property at Maesgeirchen, Bangor at 05:18hrs.

Crews used one hose reel jet, two sets of breathing apparatus and one triple extending ladder to tackle the fire which caused 10% fire damage to the attic space.

The family evacuated the property unharmed.

Richard Evans, Business Education Manager, said: "The fire appears to have been caused by radiated heat from clothes stored next to a halogen heater which had been left on all night.

"We would advise residents to avoid placing lights or portable heaters near furnishings as they can get extremely hot. Also, portable heaters should be positioned against a wall, never along the escape route from your home.

"Members of this family were very lucky to escape the property with no injuries. As part of having a night time routine to help keep you as safe as possible from fire, we advise residents to switch off all electrical appliances not designed to be left switched on, close all doors to prevent fire spreading, and to ensure you have working smoke alarms fitted in your home as they really could mean the difference between life and death for your family."

Using a portable electric heater is a great way to stay warm during cold nights and save on heating costs- but they can be dangerous if not used properly, and we would strongly advise residents to follow these simple guidelines when using a portable heater:

.Do not use heater if the cord is frayed or broken

.Do not lay rugs or carpet over the cord or extension cords

.Do not hang items above the heater

.Do not put heater near furniture or curtains

.Do turn off the heater before leaving home or going to bed

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service offers free home fire safety checks for all residents, where we offer basic fire safety advice on how to keep as safe as possible from fire in your home. To register, call the free 24 hour hotline on 0800 169 1234 or visit www.nwales-fireservice.org.uk or text 88365, ensuring you prefix your message with the word HFSC.