Firefighters issue warning after unlikely household item sparks devastating blaze

A wheat bag left forgotten in a microwave has sparked a vicious blaze in Adelaide's southern suburbs, causing $150,000 in damage and leading the Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) to issue an urgent warning about the dangers of at-home heating.

The incident occurred at a residence on the Esplanade in Seacliff.

The occupant of the house was able to escape after being alerted by a smoke alarm, and sought refuge at a neighbour's home. 

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"Suddenly he called for me, and he was only partly dressed and he said he's had a fire in his house," local resident Kenneth Maile said.

"He said he left a wheat bag in the microwave and then had gone to bed."

Fire crews managed to contain the blaze, preventing it from spreading beyond the kitchen and dining areas, where there was significant damage.

"Let this be a warning to everyone because this does happen and it does happen frequently," Phil Ross from the MFS said about wheat bags.

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Firefighters said precautions should be taken when using the heat packs, saying they should never be reheated unless completely cooled down.

"The signs for the heat bags overheating, there's a smell of burning, there's an odour and there's charring," Ross said.

The resident was transported to hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation, but released shortly after.

This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.