Portable heater sets sofa alight

Firefighters were called to a property in Basildon in the early of hours of the morning, after a portable heater caused a sofa to catch fire.

Crews were called to a property near Valence Way, Basildon at 4.33am this morning after neighbours heard a smoke alarm sounding next door. 

On arrival, firefighters found a sofa on fire in the bedroom which had been caused by a portable heater. 

Crew Manager Matt Watson said: “Even on lower settings, portable heaters left too close to flammable objects or materials can catch alight.

“Fortunately, fire damage was minimal and this incident had a positive outcome - nobody was injured and we were pleased to see that the property had working smoke alarms.

”As temperatures remain low, please be cautious when using portable heaters to heat your home. Make sure you use them on flat surfaces, at least one metre away from anything flammable, and avoid leaving them on overnight.”