A MAN living alone arrived home to find three fire engines outside his house after electrical wiring started a blaze.

Firefighters smashed their way into the property, in Brenda Road, Hartlepool at 4pm on Saturday, believing someone could be trapped inside.

But a 15-minute search by firefighters wearing breathing apparatus revealed the homeowner was out.

A dog and the man's budgerigars were rescued from the house.

The pets escaped injury because they were downstairs while the fire broke out in the bedroom.

Firefighters said the blaze was probably started by a short-circuit in the immersion heater system, in the airing cupboard.

Station Officer Ian Hendry, of Cleveland Fire Brigade, said: "He was very surprised because he had been in and out of the house all day and didn't realise anything was wrong.

"The man was shaken up by what had happened and distressed to see all the damage it had caused."

A computer and work- station, clothes, towels, bedding and furniture were destroyed and the bedroom was gutted.

SO Hendry said the fire should act as a reminder to people not to overload plug sockets with electrical items as many people tend to do after Christmas to make use of their presents.