Fire at Fergie's home after scented candle left alight in the loo

Last updated at 16:29 30 January 2008


Sarah Ferguson

The Duchess of York is facing a

£20,000 clean-up bill after nearly burning down her house as she left a

scented candle alight in her lavatory.

The alarm was raised by a

housekeeper who smelled smoke after

Sarah Ferguson, 48, left her Surrey

home so that she could attend a

business meeting in London

yesterday.

The flames were put out by ten

firefighters but caused fire and

smoke damage to the bathroom

furnishings at Dolphin House, the

duchess's country home in

Englefield Green.

Fire engines had to be taken in through the electronic gates at the front of the duchess's country home.

It is not thought her

children Beatrice, 19, and Eugenie,

17, were staying at the house at the

time of the fire.

The house is situated less than a

mile from her former husband

Prince Andrew's home at Royal

Lodge, Windsor.

A fire brigade officer said: “The

duchess may not feel that lucky

right now but this fire could have

been very much worse.

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fergie's home

“If the housekeeper had not been

there to react so quickly, it could

have destroyed much more than a

bathroom suite.”

The duchess moved into the house last year after the sale of the former family home at Sunninghill Park, near Ascot.

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