Kitchen fire
Crews were called to Caspian Way, Thurrock, this morning when a smoke alarm alerted a neighbour to a fire in a ground floor flat.
On arrival, firefighters confirmed there was a fire in the kitchen, caused by cooking which had been left unattended. The flat and surrounding hallways were heavily smoke-logged.
Crews worked to extinguish the fire by 10:15am, and then cleared the building of smoke.
Watch Manager, Gary Bannister, at Grays Fire Station, said: “This is a really great example of how important it is to have working smoke alarms in your home. Smoke alarms can alert neighbours or passersby to a fire if you’re not home."
Do you have working smoke alarms in your home?
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.
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 or leave the house while the oven or hob is in use
- Avoid leaving children in the kitchen alone when cooking on the hob.
- 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