IN PICTURES: Fire rips through Aldridge flat
Homes were evacuated and residents led to safety after a fire ripped through a kitchen in the Black Country.
Emergency services were called to a ground floor maisonette in Old Rectory Gardens, Aldridge. A wheelchair bound man inside the property had managed to escape before firefighters arrived.
The blaze, which is believed to have started accidentally, ripped through the kitchen and left the room completely destroyed.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze and isolated gas, electricity and water supplies at the two-storey building at around 8.15pm on Sunday.
West Midlands Fire Service spokesman James Round said: "The fire was in a ground floor kitchen of a two-storey block of maisonettes.
"A wheelchair-bound gentleman exited the premises before we got there. The crews isolated the gas, electricity and water supplies.
"We evacuated all of the surrounding properties.
"The kitchen was 100 per cent involved in the fire and there was also 60 per cent smoke and heat damage to the property.
"We've done several revisits since."
Mr Round said there was nothing to suggest anything suspicious had caused the blaze.
He said the male resident of the property had since been rehomed.
A message posted on Facebook by Willenhall fire station following the incident said crews had led a number of residents to safety from their properties. It added that residents were all well.
Blue watch crews from Willenhall, Walsall, Bloxwich and Aldridge attended. West Midlands Ambulance Service also called to the scene.
Ambulance service spokesman John Hawker said: "We were called at 8.19pm. In attendance we had three ambulances and one paramedic officer.
"Six patients were treated at the scene and checked over for minor smoke inhalation.
"All six patients were discharged at the scene with one advised that they needed to go to hospital, but they declined."
