Cigarette causes flat fire

Firefighters are giving smoking safety advice after a man’s flat was left uninhabitable when he fell asleep while smoking. 

Crews were called to a flat in Nunns Road, Colchester after the resident woke up to his smoke alarms going off. 

On arrival, crews reported a ground floor flat was heavily smoke logged. 

Crews worked to evacuate six flats due the amount of smoke in the block.  

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the flat and extinguished a fire in the living room. 

The flat has been heavily smoke logged and left uninhabitable. 

Crews believe the fire was caused by a cigarette that caught a sofa alight and spread throughout the living room.

Watch Manager Darren Holliday from Colchester Fire Station said: “If you’re a smoker or you know someone who is, we’d urge you to avoid smoking if you’re tired or if you’ve been drinking or taking heavy medication. 

“This highlights how important it is to have working smoke alarms, the man was woken up by his smoke alarms and they also alerted neighbours.”