A candle caused Monday's Beaufort Drive house fire in Wallasey, which killed a man and his dog. Merseyside had 33 candle fires in homes in the last year.
A candle caused the house fire on Beaufort Drive, Wallasey, that killed a man and a dog on Monday evening. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) and Merseyside Police reached the finding in a joint investigation, the fire service said on Wednesday.
What happened
Crews were alerted at 8.38pm on Monday 19 October, according to the service’s incident log. Three fire engines attended.
- 8.42pm: firefighters arrived to find the ground floor of a two-storey semi-detached house well alight, with smoke coming from the upper floor.
- On arrival: firefighters in breathing apparatus went in to search for anyone inside and to tackle the fire.
- 9.06pm: the fire was out.
- 12.51am, Tuesday: the last crews left, after damping down and checking temperatures overnight.
A man was rescued from the house and given first aid, but paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. Firefighters also tried to resuscitate a dog, which died too.
The fire service has not named the man. Kevin Johnson, MFRS Head of Prevention, said: “This is a tragic incident. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man who lost his life.”
Candle fires in Merseyside homes
The service published its own figures alongside the finding. Between 1 October 2025 and 30 September 2026 there were 33 accidental fires in homes across Merseyside caused by candles.
Twenty of them, 61%, happened between November and April. Most started between 5pm and 6am.
“Our figures show that candle related fires continue to pose a risk in homes across Merseyside,” Mr Johnson said, “with the majority of these incidents occurring during the autumn and winter period and many taking place during the evening and overnight.”
What it means for you
The clocks go back on Sunday and the evenings that matter most in those figures are starting. The fire service’s advice on candles is:
- never leave a lit candle in an empty room, and put it out before you go to bed
- keep candles away from curtains, furniture, bedding, books and anything else that burns
- stand them in a proper holder on a stable, heat-resistant surface
- keep them out of reach of children and pets
- never move a lit candle; let it cool first
- consider battery LED candles, which have no flame
It also asks everyone to check there is a working smoke alarm on every floor, to keep exit routes clear, and to close doors inside the house at night. If a fire starts: get out, stay out and call 999.
The service gives free fire safety advice on 0800 731 5958, and runs an online home fire safety check on its website.
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