Firefighters' warning over Arundel parked cars

The fire service was called to a chimney fire in the town.

Upon investigation firefighters found that the decorative timber cladding in the lounge behind a wood burning stove had been burning on and off since the day it was installed due to its close proximity.

Crews removed the cladding and gave advice to the homeowner.

A fire service spokesman said: “Please remember that combustion appliances must not be within certain distances of combustible materials and chimneys are regularly swept.

“Arundel fire station asks all residents to look after elderly or frail neighbours during cold spells this winter.

“Any concerns please don’t hesitate to contact us on here or pop in to the fire station on a Monday evening.”

However while the issue with the chimney was resolved, firefighters were unable to respond to other calls because of parked cars in the town.

The spokesman added: “Although these cars were parked legally please think when you park ‘can a lorry get past’?

“With the size of our appliance we need at least three metres to get through.

“Arundel is a narrow historical town anyway but the amount of parked cars and size of cars are now causing us concerns and problems on a regular basis.

“If you have any concerns again please don’t hesitate to contact us.”