Fire starts in kitchen after man falls asleep
Firefighters were called to reports of smoke coming from a first floor flat window in Grays.
When firefighters arrived, they found the flat full of smoke and the hob was alight in the kitchen. The occupant had fallen asleep and was not aware of the fire until firefighters found him asleep in his bed.
The flat did not have any working smoke alarms.
Crew Manager Kris Mortimer said: "The occupant had put some food on the hob, but then left it unattended and had fallen asleep. It is very lucky someone spotted the smoke and called 999 as the property did not have any working smoke alarms.
"Once we had extinguished the fire and clear smoke from the flat, we fitted new smoke alarms in the property.
"We are urging all residents in Essex to not cook when you’re tired or have been drinking alcohol. It’s easy to fall asleep and a fire can quickly develop.”
Cooking safety
More than half of accidental fires in the home are started by cooking - it can be incredibly dangerous if you don't take precautions:
- Take care if you need to leave the kitchen whilst cooking, take pans off the heat
- Don't cook if you are tired, taking medication that makes your drowsy or have been drinking alcohol
- Keep tea towels and cloths away from the cooker and hob
- Double check the cooker is off when you’ve finished cooking
