House completely gutted by fire after hot hairdryer put in drawer

A home has been completely destroyed after a fire, caused by a hot hairdryer being put back in a drawer, ripped through the house.

A bungalow in Pwllheli in North Wales was left gutted after the fire blazed on for several hours, leaving neighbours completely shocked.

Flames and smoke billowed from the roof and the front window while firefighters tried desperately to extinguish the flames for more than six hours on Friday - reports North Wales Live

READ MORE: Huge blaze at primary school being treated as arson

The Aerial Ladder Platform from Bangor arrived around 2pm to help put out the fire but crews remained at the scene until shortly after 6pm on Friday.

While the incident was ongoing, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service urged nearby residents to keep their doors and windows shut and people inside the properties on either side of the affected property were asked to leave their homes as a precaution.

An ambulance and police officers were also dispatched to the scene.

It is believed that the property's occupants were out at the time the blaze started.

One eyewitness said: "I've never seen anything like this in my entire life. I could smell smoke at around 11am so it's been going on for hours."

Another said: "It's devastating to watch. It all happened so quickly.

A house fire in Pwllheli on Friday is thought to have been caused by a hairdryer that was left in a drawer, the fire service has said. (North Wales Fire and Rescue Service)

"It sort of died down and it looked like it was under control but then it just went up again."

The property was totally gutted by the fire with the majority of the roof having burnt away.

Shocking images were released by the fire service showing the extent of the damage caused.

NWFRS has now said that the fire is thought to have been caused by "radiated heat" from a hairdryer which caused the drawer and its contents to catch fire, spreading throughout the property.

The service are now urging people to let their electrical appliances cool down before putting them away.

In a statement, the fire service said: "The fire in Pwllheli this afternoon is thought to be caused by radiated heat from a hairdryer placed in a drawer.

"Thankfully no one was hurt. Please ensure that you allow any electrical appliances to cool down fully before storing them away."