A fire at a flat in Demesne Road, Douglas led to crews from the town's fire station being called out just after 6.30am today.

On arrival fire fighters discovered a duvet had been set alight, probably by a cigarette.

The flat's occupant had managed to cover the duvet with a wet towel and take it outside, while the building's automatic fire alarm system had alerted the other people living there.

Officers had to clear the flat and communal areas of smoke and left the scene just after about half an hour.

A media release says more people die in fires started by cigarettes than by any other single cause.

It says tobacco is designed to stay lit, so is easily capable of starting an accidental blaze.

The advice is to use a proper, heavy ashtray that can't tip over easily and is made of a burn-proof material.