Gainsborough fire caused by exploding vape

An exploding vape caused a major blaze which badly damaged a row of houses in Gainsborough, fire bosses have said.

The fire started at a property on Grey Street at about 13:15 BST on Friday before spreading to three other homes.

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service said three of the homes had been left uninhabitable, but said nobody had been injured.

The service said an investigation would examine why the vape exploded.

Eyewitnesses told the BBC that the vape was being charged on a bed and had burst into flames.

The fire service said eight engines were deployed, including some from neighbouring brigades.

Helen Tooley, group manager at Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, said three of the houses were not habitable.

She said: "It's [fire] gone through the roof spaces, unfortunately. So quite significant damage to those three houses. The fourth one, next to it, there is a hole in the roof, and there was extensive smoke damage as well in that one."

Ms Tooley said investigators had concluded their work at the scene. However, she said they needed to clarify exactly how the fire started.

Offering general advice to residents, Ms Tooley said: "If you are using vapes or any electronic equipment that needs charging, please use the proper chargers. Make sure it's in a safe place. Unplug it if you're not in the room."

Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.