Immersion heater causes fire

Crews were called to a flat in Dudley Close, Grays last night when an immersion heater caused a fire in an airing cupboard.

Firefighters were called to a flat in Grays at 10:51pm, when the the smoke alarm sounded, alerting the occupant to a fire in his home.

On arrival, crews confirmed that there was a small fire, contained within the airing cupboard and the property was smoke full of smoke.

Firefighters from Grays worked quickly to extinguish the fire by 11:42pm.

Watch Manager at Grays Fire Station, Gary Bannister, said “The occupant was woken by a 'bang' which he thought came from outside. Shortly afterwards, his smoke alarm sounded and he found that there was a fire in the airing cupboard. This is a really great example of how important it is to have working smoke alarms in your home.”

Do you have working smoke alarms in your home?

The resident in this incident had working smoke alarms which alerted them to the fire. 

Smoke alarms save lives. They can alert your family as well as your neighbours and passers-by to a fire in your home if you're not home.

We recommend you have at least one working smoke alarm on every level of your home and that you test them at least once a month.

If you or someone you know doesn’t have working smoke alarms, please get in touch. Visit essex-fire.gov.uk/book or call 0300 303 0088.