A bizarre incident unfolded in Peacehaven, East Sussex, when a woman returned home from a quick shopping trip to find firefighters responding to what was believed to be a fire in her house. The twist? It was just a video of a yule log playing on her TV. Lydia Maskell had turned on the video of the yule log to keep her Cocker Spaniel, Romeo, comforted while she stepped out for groceries. Within 10 minutes of leaving the house, Lydia received a notification on her video doorbell that the fire brigade had arrived with two fire engines.
The 23-year-old was taken aback to discover the firefighters outside her home, responding to the faux fire on her television screen. A video shared on TikTok captures the amusing incident, showing Lydia enjoying a glass of wine in front of the fake flames before the firefighters arrived. She explained that she had turned on the video of the fire to create a cosy ambiance in the house while she was out. However, a vigilant neighbour mistook the video for a real fire and called emergency services.
In a moment of disbelief, Lydia interacted with the firefighters through the doorbell as they informed her of the situation. They had been alerted by a neighbour who had spotted the ‘fire’ through their window. Lydia expressed her shock at the unexpected visit, stating, “It was mortifying. It’s something that would only happen to me. You couldn’t write it.” The humorous video has since garnered over 73,000 views and 7,000 likes on TikTok.
Lydia’s parents, who were on holiday in Spain at the time, were surprised when they checked their doorbell app and saw fire engines outside their daughter’s home. In a gesture of gratitude, they plan to take a gift to the neighbour who reported the ‘fire’ to apologise for the misunderstanding. Lydia expressed her thankfulness for the fire service and the neighbour’s vigilance in looking out for their safety, underscoring the community spirit in the aftermath of the comedic mishap.