Smoke alarm alerts family to air fryer fire

Firefighters from Colchester and West Mersea were called to an incident on Mersea Road, Langenhoe at 5.31am this morning. 

On arrival, they confirmed it was a fire in the kitchen which was caused by a faulty air fryer. The property was heavily smoke damaged. 

A man was given oxygen therapy by firefighters at the scene after suffering smoke inhalation.

Crew Manager Dave Farrant said: “When we entered the house we could see it was badly smoke damaged. The majority of the fire was already out but it was still smouldering. 

“When inspecting the kitchen we also noticed a number of overloaded plug sockets. Please be careful as plugging too many electrical appliances into one socket can lead to overheating. 

“Fortunately the residents had working smoke alarms which meant they could get themselves and their dogs out of the property safely and wait for us to deal with the fire.

Dave added:

“We recommend that residents register appliances they have at home through Register My Appliance.

“It’s a free scheme that you can sign up to and be the first to hear about known faults and recalls.

“You can register old and new appliances - they can be up to 12 years old and you can register second hand appliances.

“Registering your appliances is a quick and easy way to help keep your family safe. It only takes a few minutes to register. To register your appliances, visit: www.registermyappliance.org.uk/registration/.”