Rescued couple thank emergency services after explosion at Sheffield home – sparked by cat

Crews were called to Ecclesfield Road, Shiregreen, at 5.15am this morning and discovered that an aerosol can had exploded in the kitchen – blowing out a window.

The hob was on and items left close by had caught fire. South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said the family cat in the house “is thought to have knocked the hob on, which then set fire to items on top of the hob and ignited an aerosol can, which exploded and blew the kitchen window out.”

A South Yorkshire police officer passing at the time raised the alarm and helped rescue the occupants.

A man who was in the house at the time has now taken to Twitter to thank emergency services for helping to rescue him and his wife. 

He tweeted: “Just want to say a huge thank you to South Yorkshire Police and South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue for their quick-thinking and quick-acting.

“This was me and my wife, and officers just so happened to be driving past at the time.

“Got us straight out to safety and the fire brigade here instantly. Could’ve been a lot worse!”  

A fire service spokesman confirmed nobody was injured.