FIREFIGHTERS in Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield are warning residents to stay safe this Christmas by regularly making sure their smoke detectors work and are fitted with batteries.

The warning comes after two fires in the Welwyn Hatfield area at the weekend.

The first fire took place at 4.57am on Sunday morning at a flat in Roe Green Lane in Hatfield and four people were helped out of the third-floor flat and to safety before the blaze was put out.

The cause of the fire is under investigation and although a smoke alarm was fitted in the flat, the batteries in it were not working.

The importance of having a smoke alarm in good working order was highlighted by another incident at a house in Salisbury Road, Welwyn Garden City, at which a smoke alarm alerted a neighbour to a kitchen fire.

Firefighters were called out at 12.45pm and put out the fire which had started as the result of a roast dinner being left in the oven, while the occupants of the house were out.

Thanks to the smoke alarm and a vigilant neighbour, the fire was put out before too much damage could be done, although there was some smoke damage to the downstairs of the house.