A FIRE YESTERDAY MORNING left 73-year-old Elroy Smith homeless.

"I was playing Christmas music on my piano, then went to lie down in my big chair. I saw smoke coming through the passage, so I followed it and saw my bed was on fire," said the White Hall, St Michael resident of the blaze which gutted his insured wall house.

Smith said the fire was so intense he ran out the house where he lived since 1978, with just the clothes he was wearing.

He lived alone but said he had family in the area. However, he did not know where he would spend the night.

Two tenders from the Probyn Street headquarters in The City and seven fire officers under the command of Station Officer Wilfred Marshall responded to the 11:56 a.m. call.

Marshall said investigations into the cause of the fire were still under way, but cautioned homeowners to be especially vigilant at this time of year, advising them not to overload circuits or perform "quick fixes" on appliances.

"With the number of fires we have been seeing for December, it has to be close to one a day. During Christmas time there is an increase in the domestic use of electricity, so pay attention to your electrical appliances," he said. (CA)