Fire destroys kitchen, leaving flat uninhabitable

Crews were called to a flat fire in Chigwell last night, when a toaster caught alight and destroyed the family kitchen.

Firefighters were called to a fire in a ground floor flat in Chigwell at 8:30pm, when a smoke alarm alerted a mother to a fire in the kitchen.

On arrival, crews confirmed that there was a fire in the kitchen, caused by a toaster and the property was heaily smoke-logged.

Firefighters from Loughton (ECFRS) were joined by three crews from London Fire Brigade who worked quickly together to extinguish the fire by 9:05pm.

The kitchen has suffered significant damage as a result of the fire and the family of six have unfortunately been left homeless.

Crew Manager at Loughton Fire Station, Dean MacWilliam, said “Thanks to London Fire Brigade working together with us to tackle the fire last night. The crews did a great job to contain the fire and prevent additional damage to the property.

“Smoke alarms will alert you to the first signs of fire in your home. We’re urging everyone to make sure they have at least one working smoke alarm on every level of their homes, and to test them at least once a month.”

Please follow our safety advice for cooking safely:

• Take care when cooking with oil - it gets very got and can set alight easily
• Never leave cooking unattended
• Avoid leaving children in the kitchen alone when cooking on the hob.  Keep matches and saucepan handles out of their reach to keep them safe
• Make sure saucepan handles don’t stick out – so they don’t get knocked off the stove
• Keep tea towels and cloths away from the cooker and hob
• Double check the cooker is off when you’ve finished cooking