Firefighters called to pizza oven fire
Firefighters extinguished a fire which had spread in a garden from a brick built pizza oven.
Crews from Orsett and Grays were called to Nicolas Walk, Chadwell St Mary at 3.46am last night.
When they arrived, they found a fire which had spread to a wooden structure built near the pizza oven as well as the neighbouring fence.
Firefighters used hose reel jets to stop the fire from spreading further and extinguished it by 4.45am.
Watch Manager Kevin Smith said: “We’d like to praise the neighbours for their quick actions in calling us once they spotted the fire.
“The residents had been using a brick built pizza oven that evening and had done the right thing by removing the embers.
“However, the oven itself and the cooking hot plate remained very hot which radiated heat onto the wooden structure built near the oven, causing it to catch alight.
“If you have a pizza oven, please make sure it's fully cooled and is well away from sheds, fences, trees, shrubs or garden waste.”
Outdoor cooking safety
- Avoid drinking too much alcohol if you are in charge of the barbecue, pizza oven or any cooking
- Keep a bucket of water, sand or a garden hose nearby for emergencies
- Follow the safety instructions provided with disposable barbecues and make sure it's lifted off anything flammable like decking
- Never use a barbecue or pizza oven indoors
- Only use recognised lighters or starter fuels to light your barbecue or pizza oven - never use petrol or paraffin
- Never leave your cooking unattended
- Make sure you're wearing the right clothing to avoid burns - wear heat protective gloves and don't wear anything loose
- Make sure your barbecue or pizza oven is well away from sheds, fences, trees, shrubs or garden waste
- Allow ashes to cool and empty them onto bare garden soil, not into dustbins or wheelie bins. Hot ash can melt plastic and cause a fire
