This is priceless - or it would be if it wasn't serious.

First of all, a fireman (allegedly) describes an entirely predictable fire as a "freak accident" but then the family go on to suggest the loss of life was prevented by a Guardian Angel.

Full Story

If you can read the comments, the most surprising thing seems to be the negative reaction thrown at the only commentator who seems to have a grip on reality. I've added my tuppenth-happney later and will doubtless be ragged if someone notices.

What you have is this:

1. Child (11) uses Blu-tak to put picture on wall - above what we think is a traditional light - 60W+ housed in a very tall uplighter (not clear in the picture on the net, but was in the printed version).
2. Over time, the Blu-tak dries up or otherwise looses adhesion causing the picture to slip right onto the lamp.
3. Any residual moisture in the paper has long since dried out by the heat from the lamp - leaving it tinder dry.
4. Paper falls from wall catching against hot bulb and ignites; shortly thereafter falling onto the bed - igniting the child's toy
5. Smoke alarm goes off.
6. Everyone is OK.

This is what smoke alarms do.

It took me less than a second to work that out just by looking at the picture and I expect "Andy" in the comments figured out the same.

What irks me (and I think Andy too) is that the local rag has blow this into some sort of amazing survival against the odds human story; and the quote from the fireman is nothing short of nuts. Having been on both sides of these stories, I fully expect the quote is entirely out of context or even made up.

But what pains me is the bizarre belief that this child was being watched over by a supernatural force - a force was powerful enough to prevent the child (and perhaps the family) being overcome by smoke, but strangely unable to stop an entirely preventable accident in the first place. A force that, in fact, waited until the smoke alarm started screeching before it acted.

Or maybe... well, you can see where I'm going here.