British fire crews respond to Christmas pudding blaze

BARNSTAPLE, England, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- British firefighters said two crews responded to a home where they discovered a Christmas pudding had caught fire while being heated in a microwave.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue officials said a Barnstaple resident dialed the 999 emergency line about 7:45 p.m. Monday when a smoke detector went off on the property, and two engine crews responded to the home.

"On arrival the crews confirmed that this had been a small fire involving a Christmas pudding within a microwave," a fire and rescue spokesman said.

It was unclear whether the Christmas pudding had been splashed with brandy -- a traditional practice for the dish -- before being placed in the microwave.

"The damage was confined to the Christmas pudding itself, crews made the area safe and ventilated the property," the spokesman said.