Kitchen fire

Crews were called to a kitchen fire on Rayleigh Road this afternoon, when a plastic steriliser lid melted onto the hob and caught fire.

Firefighters were called to Rayleigh Road in Southend-On-Sea at 12:45pm today.

On arrival, crews confirmed the fire was out and it had been caused by a plastic steriliser lid which had melted onto an electric hob.

Firefighters checked that the fire was fully extinguished and then fitted smoke alarms in the property before leaving.

More than half of accidental fires at home are started by cooking - follow our cooking safety advice to stay safe in your kitchen:

• Take care if you need to leave the kitchen while cooking. Take pans off the heat or turn them down to avoid risk
• Take care if you’re wearing loose clothing – this can easily catch fire
• Keep tea towels, cloths and other flammable items away from the cooker and hob
• Double check the cooker is off when you’ve finished cooking

Do you have working smoke alarms in your home?

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service’s home fire safety team can give you advice to help make your home safer and can visit your home for free during a home fire safety visit.

For more information, visit: essex-fire.gov.uk/book or call 0300 303 0088