Blaze rips through Walsall home
A blaze ripped through the ground floor of a home in Walsall, sending plumes of black smoke into the sky.
Firefighters believe the blaze started due to a gas fire igniting a sofa.
Crews from Walsall and Willenhall were called to a house on Milton Street in the Palfrey area at about 2pm today.
The blaze gutted the front room of the house, severely damaged the lounge and melted a window and the front door of the property.
Crew Commander John Haynes, from Walsall fire station, said: "Black smoke was billowing out onto the street. A 54-year-old man had managed to get out but the fire gutted the front room. Even the plaster was coming off the walls. It severely damaged the lounge.
"The kitchen and upstairs doors were closed so it did not spread any further."
