A FOURTH-floor flat at Charlton House, Dawlish, was destroyed by fire on Thursday. And its 54-year-old resident, Jenny Hibbs, will be unable to spend Christmas in it. This week, she was staying with neighbours. Firefighters from Dawlish, Teignmouth, Newton Abbot and Torquay, plus an incident command vehicle and support pump from Totnes, attended the Eastcliff Road premises at noon after she activated a fire alert. The blaze blew out the glass windows, started to melt the guttering and scorched the outside walls. It started in the lounge after Mrs Hibbs apparently left a candle alight while she went to the shops. This, in turn, set fire to Christmas decorations. Fire personnel used four sets of breathing apparatus, one jet and two hose reels to bring the inferno under control. An extension ladder was also used. The flat owner was treated for smoke inhalation but no one else was injured. Sub-officer Dave Williams, of Dawlish fire service, said: 'On our arrival at this incident we could see smoke issuing from the premises. We later discovered that the occupant had gone out and left a candle alight in the living room, which subsequently caught the Christmas decorations alight. 'On her return she smelt smoke and opened the door of the affected room to release her dog and was confronted by a large volume of smoke. 'She then acted correctly in shutting the door, leaving the premises and breaking the glass call-point. 'Apart from the danger of leaving candles alight when the premises are empty, we would remind people to never open a door if they suspect there may be a fire on the other side. It is often the case that the closed door is preventing the fire from rapidly developing,' he said. Assistant divisional officer Jon Miller, who also attended the incident, added: 'This was a severe fire, made worse by the fact that the Christmas decorations caught alight. 'I would like to point out that according to recently-published figures you are 50 per cent more likely to die in an accidental fire during the Christmas period than at any other time. 'It should be remembered that many of the things we enjoy about Christmas, such as the fairy lights, candles, paper hats and decorations, can all be fire hazards when proper care is not taken.'