London, United Kingdom. A Cypriot couple died in a house fire in Barnet, north London, after investigators concluded that a lit memorial candle ignited nearby materials in their home during the early hours of January 16.
Fire response and investigation
Local media reported on Friday that Andreas and Sophia Lescou were rescued by firefighters from their two-storey semi-detached house on Albemarle Road in Barnet, but were pronounced dead at the scene by ambulance service crews.
The London fire brigade said it received the emergency call at 1.45am and dispatched four fire engines and around 25 firefighters from Barnet, Southgate and Finchley.
The fire was confined to the ground floor and was brought under control shortly after 3am.
Fire investigators concluded that the blaze was caused by a lit candle.
Family account and safety warning
Family members told community newspaper Paroikiaki on Friday that the couple regularly lit a memorial candle near religious icons and photographs of deceased relatives.
A fire brigade spokesperson said candles remain “one of the most common causes of fatal house fires” and warned they should never be left unattended or placed near flammable objects.
The brigade advised the use of electric or LED candles as a safer alternative.
Background
Andreas Lescou was born in Famagusta on November 9, 1935, and Sophia Lescou was born on November 21, 1935, in Pano Kivides, Limassol.
They met in Vauxhall, London, in 1958 and married the following year.
Do you keep candles away from flammable objects and never leave them unattended?
