Kittens blamed for starting fire which gutted owners' home

Pet kittens are suspected of sparking a fire that burned down a young family’s home. Fire investigators believe the cats, Jesse and Dora, may have walked across a touch-sensitive hob in the kitchen – turning it on. The cats’ owners – Reina and Andrew Ainscough – were visiting relatives for New Year with their young twins when the blaze broke out.



The fire ripped through their home and a neighbouring property in Newton Road, Lowton, near Leigh, causing £250,000 of damage. The kittens died. Mr Ainscough, 28, who runs a staffing agency with his wife, said: "It’s just such a freak incident. They can’t be sure what caused it yet but it is possible it could have been the cats." The Ainscoughs are currently staying with relatives while the damage is assessed by insurers.

Their twin son and daughter, Kian and Darcy, had been due to start nursery at Bridgewater School in Worsley, Salford, this week but their uniforms and clothes were destroyed. Reina, 27, said: "It was so lucky that no one was in the house at the time. It could have happened at any time and I’m glad we weren’t in." The fire quickly spread to the house next door, which was also unoccupied. The owners were in the process of selling the house and had moved out just two days before the incident.



Firefighters stayed on the scene for around 12 hours. Fire investigators said the cause was still to be determined but confirmed they were looking at the possibility one of the kittens had jumped on to the cooker and activated the hob. Watch manager Steve Patterson, from Leigh fire station, said: "Damage to both houses is extensive. I would think that the whole building will have to be torn down."