Fire started by children causes explosion

From the archive, first published Wednesday 7th Mar 2007.

A pensioner had to be taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation after a gas explosion outside his home.

The man raised the alarm after hearing a bang from a storebuilding close to his maisonette in Bootham Walk, Keighley, just before 10pm last night.

Firefighters believe the blaze was started by children playing with matches near the store's wooden door.

The fire spread to contents inside the shed which burned through a pipe taking gas into the man's home.

Watch manager Anthony Williams said: "If we hadn't got there when we did this could have ended in more serious consequences. Children should not have been playing out at that time of night - there needs to be more responsibility."

The man's flat had to be ventilated to clear the smoke.

Firefighters cut off the supply and gas engineers were called to make the area safe and cap off the damaged pipe.