Baby in hospital after electric blanket fire
A five-month-old baby has been taken to hospital after a fire broke out in a bedroom of a house in Edinburgh, caused by a faulty electric blanket.
Fire crews were called to the house at Cobden Crescent, in the Newington area of Edinburgh, at about 00:20. The baby boy was given oxygen before being taken by ambulance to the city's Royal Hospital for Sick Children, where he was treated for smoke inhalation. A faulty electric blanket caused a bed to catch fire, the fire service said. Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service said: "This is a salutary reminder that electrical blankets should be checked every year to make sure that they are in good working order. "By coincidence, the service is carrying out electric blanket testing in West Lothian on Thursday because every winter we deal with this type of incident and, although in small numbers, we want to reduce the likelihood of a repeat. "In particular, don't fold electric blankets when storing them as this can cause damage to the wiring. If in doubt get your blanket tested by a qualified electrician."