Incident

Safety advice issued after flat fire in Harlow

Firefighters worked quickly to stop a fire from spreading in Harlow during the early hours of this morning.

Crews were called at just after midnight, to reports of one first floor flat on fire and smoke in the two-storey building.

Initially two crews from Harlow, one from Old Harlow plus two from Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service - Sawbridgeworth and Bishop Stortford - attended.

Many of the residents had left the building and crews helped others to evacuate. Firefighters used fans to ventilate the building and clear the smoke.

The incident was soon scaled down to three appliances with the fire out and smoke removed by 2am.

Unfortunately one person has been made homeless, however no one was injured or suffered effects from the smoke. Essex Police, ambulance and local authority colleagues were at the scene to support residents who had to remain outside of their homes whilst firefighters dealt with the incident.

Station Manager Jon Ford said: “We’d like to thank residents for their patience tonight. They did have to wait outside so we are grateful to police, ambulance and the council for supporting them so we could deal with the incident quickly.

“Our crews worked really hard alongside colleagues from Hertfordshire who supported us. A special thank you must go to them as well as a mention of the great work of our control team, who professionally and quickly co-ordinated the response.”

The cause of the fire is accidental and crews from Harlow will return to the flats over the next few days to offer home safety advice and reassurance, particularly around the safe charging of electrical items such as E-scooters.

E-scooter safety advice

Buy your e-scooter from a reputable retailer and follow the manufacturer's guidance on charging and storing
Store your e-scooter outside and away from escape routes
Always charge it during the day when you are at home
Do not over-charge it – once it is fully charged, unplug it and turn the charger off
Register it at registermyappliance
Avoid storing, using or charging batteries at very high or low temperatures
Check your battery regularly. If it gets damaged it could catch fire

Our other top tips for staying safe at home are:

Make sure you have smoke alarms on every floor of your home
Smoke alarms save lives, but only if they are working. Please test smoke alarms regularly.
Take extra care in the kitchen and never leave cooking unattended
Avoid using a chip pan or any other pan filled with hot oil
Don’t overload electric sockets– most can only take a maximum of 13 amps
Keep matches and lighters away from children
Keep clothes well away from heaters and open fires
Put out cigarettes properly and dispose of them carefully
Don’t charge things like mobile phones, tablets or e-cigs overnight, or longer than the recommended charging time
Plan an escape route and make sure everyone in the house knows how to get out in the event of a fire