Smoke alarm alerts family to fire in ninth floor flat

A family were alerted to a fire in their ninth floor flat thanks to a smoke alarm.

We were called to reports of a kitchen fire in a high rise building in Victoria Road, Warley yesterday at 7.18pm.

Crews from Brentwood, Basildon, Chelmsford (two), Orsett and Hawkwell attended. 

Watch Manager Ben Stapleton said: "The first crews to arrive worked incredibly hard to put our high rise procedures in place and start tackling the fire.

"It appears a hob was switched on accidentally and set fire to items on the worktop. The incident is a reminder to keep your hob clear when it is not in use. 

"Thankfully the family were alerted by a smoke alarm and did exactly the right thing; they got out, stayed out and called 999. They also closed doors on the way out, which minimised how much the smoke spread."

The fire was extinguished just after 8pm.

Five people were taken to hospital as a precaution after they breathed in smoke.

The flat where the fire started has been left uninhabitable due to fire and smoke damage. A neighbouring flat was also damaged by smoke but the family should be able to return soon.