Cooking fire wakes Hostel in early hours

Firefighters were called to a fire in Westcliff-On-Sea at 2:38am, when smoke alarms sounded, alerting everyone in a hostel to a fire in the kitchen.

On arrival, crews confirmed that there was a fire in a kitchen area, which was caused by a saucepan that had been left on the hob unattended. The area was heavily smoke-logged and the sprinkler system had activated.

Firefighters from Southend worked to extinguish the fire and ventilate the building by 3:30am. Crews also assisted to clean up water damage caused by the sprinkler system before leaving the scene.

Watch Manager at Southend Fire Station, Dan Trendell, said “This is a great example of how important it is to have working smoke alarms in all buildings.

“The crews worked in challenging conditions and did a great job to minimise damage.

"I also want to praise those who were staying at the Hostel. Many had young children and babies with them, and it was reassuring to see that everyone was outside, well away from the building when we arrived.”

For cooking safety advice, visit our dedicated ‘Cooking Safety’ page on our website: www.essex-fire.gov.uk/cooking