A FAMILYcalled in fire crews after their garage basement was filled with smoke.

Firefighters from Huddersfield and Elland were called to the terraced house on Bryan Street in Rastrick just before 1pm yesterday.

A specialist investigation team found that the fire was caused by an extractor fan in a basement beneath the garage which had overheated – melting the plastic casing around it.

The residents were new to the property and had been unaware that the fan was on.

Watch Commander Andy Marshall from Elland fire station said: “The occupants, who included one adult and four children, were outside when we arrived. We went round to the side to the garage.

“It was difficult to find the source of the fire as there was no natural light within the room. The smoke was quite thick and acrid.”

The crews used two breathing apparatus, one hose reel and a thermal image camera.