Man rescued after kitchen fire

Firefighters are advising residents not to cook while tired after a man was rescued during a kitchen fire in Colchester earlier today.

Crews from Colchester, Wivenhoe and Brightlingsea were called to a kitchen fire in Rosalind Close, Colchester after a neighbour called 999 when they heard smoke alarms going off.

On arrival, crews reported that there was a fire in an oven and the kitchen was heavily smoke logged.

Firefighters wearing Breathing Apparatus (BA) searched the property for anyone inside and rescued a man from the building who had been asleep when the fire started.

Crews gave the man first aid for smoke inhalation and he was left in the care of the Ambulance Service.

Firefighters praised the neighbour for calling the fire service when hearing their neighbour’s smoking alarm going off.

Watch Manager Rich Lark from Colchester Fire Station said: “If you are feeling tired, we recommend that you don’t cook. Make a sandwich instead or order a takeaway if you are hungry.

“We’d like to praise the man’s neighbour who acted quickly to call us when hearing the smoke alarms going off and the quick actions undoubtedly saved the man life.

“Please always act quickly when hearing smoke alarms from your neighbours home of if you are passing by. Don’t assume somebody else has already called us.”

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

• Avoid cooking while tired. Make a sandwich or order a takeaway instead if you are hungry
• If you need to leave the kitchen while cooking, take pans off the heat or turn them down to reduce the risk of fires starting
• Avoid leaving children in the kitchen alone when cooking on the hob.  Keep matches and saucepan handles out of their reach to keep them safe
• Make sure saucepan handles don’t stick out. This helps to make sure they don’t get knocked off the stove
• Take care if you’re wearing loose clothing – this can easily catch fire
• Keep tea towels, cloths and other flammable objects 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?

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.