Katherine Ryan said a recent fire at her home was started by a bird and explained that it could have killed her family. The comedian, who shared the news on her podcast, said the fire brigade put the blaze down to a bird dropping a cigarette onto her astroturfed balcony. After leaving her home to do the school run, she left her Canadian partner Bobby and mother Julie in the house.
The TV star said: “I take Fred out to collect Violet from school. One of the benefits of the smart home system is that the fire alarm is linked to all our phones.
“My phone starts going nuts, fire alarm, fire alert, kitchen, fire, guest bedroom, fire, landing, fire, fire, there’s fire in every room.
“Every room on this app is telling me there’s a fire in it.
“I ignore the alarm, I think maybe Bobby’s cooking something. My phone rings and it’s Bobby, he pocket dials, dials someone at least once a day.
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After ringing the emergency services, they managed to get the balcony fire under control.
She continued: “What we have on the roof and all the balconies is astroturf for some like decorative reason.
“They’re not balconies you’re allowed to stand on. There’s this rule in the neighbourhood that it like prejudices someone’s privacy for you to walk out on the balcony on a high floor because you can see their entire garden.
“The fire truck came in like three minutes, filled with gorgeous firemen.”
She added: “We hate birds, Bobby especially hates birds, they’re eating all his grass seed ruining his lawn, and now they’re actually trying to kill us by firebombing our house.
“That is the only explanation. The house next to us is vacant. There was no workers there the last few days and the balcony that caught alight isn’t even near their balcony.
“You just can’t get to it unless you’re a bird. So, a bird tried to murder us.
“I think maybe don’t get astroturf is my number one advice.”
Katherine said she dreaded to think about what may have happened if her partner had not been so quick to spot the fire.