Investigators believe the fire was accidental and caused by an unattended candle placed near combustible materials. Around 40 firefighters and six fire engines responded to the blaze on Stockwell Lane in Stockwell on Monday evening when the fire broke out in a four-room maisonette on the second and third floors of a four-storey building. Part of the property was damaged, with two people treated on the scene by the London Ambulance Service for smoke inhalation.
There's something undeniably cozy about striking a match, hearing that tiny whoosh, watching the flame flicker, and enjoying the whole atmosphere it creates. But there are some downsides. It's so annoying to deal with jars covered in soot, to try to fix uneven burns or wicks that tunnel into sad little holes, and, of course, there's the low-level anxiety of leaving a flame unattended, even for a second.