A meal which caught alight in a microwave oven at Axminster was extinguished by firefighters who plunged it into a bucket of water.

The Axminster crew was called to the kitchen blaze at a flat in Minster Court sheltered accommodation in West Street at around 6.30pm on Monday, January 20.

They had received a call from Careline which monitors the alarms for the premises.

Shortly after arriving and investigating the cause of the alarm, the crew located the source of the smoke to a small fire within a microwave.

Not only were the contents of the microwave 100 per cent damaged by fire but the appliance sustained 50 per cent fire damage, too.

The fire was extinguished after the contents were submerged in a bucket of water and removed outside, before making the appliance and scene safe.

There were no casualties or further fire spread, but firefighters reassured the residents and offered some fire safety advice before leaving.