Smoke alarm alerts man to kitchen fire

A smoke alarm alerted a man after a fire started in his kitchen.

Firefighters from Colchester and Coggeshall attended The Rookeries, Marks Tey yesterday (Saturday) at 5.12pm.

A passer-by called 999 after he could see smoke coming from a first floor flat.

The occupant was out when crews arrived but he had breathed in smoke so firefighters gave him oxygen and left him in the care of the Ambulance Service.

Crews extinguished the fire by 6.05pm and used a fan to clear the smoke.

Watch Manager Darren Holliday said: "The occupant had accidentally turned to hob on and it has set fire to items left on the top of it.

"The man was in his lounge but fortunately he was alerted by a smoke alarm and was able to get out quickly - this incident really highlights the importance of having working smoke alarms on every floor of your home.

"Crews gave him oxygen, cleared the smoke and made sure the fire was fully extinguished."

The cause has been recorded as accidental.

Have you got working smoke alarms?

A smoke alarm in this incident alerted the occupant to the fire.

We want every home in Essex to be provided with the excellent protection that smoke alarms offer. Smoke alarms can alert you or a neighbour/passerby to a fire and give you a chance to escape your home safely.

To arrange your FREE fitting, call 0300 303 0088 or visit essex-fire.gov.uk/book.

More than half of accidental fires at home are started by cooking - follow our cooking safety advice:

• Keep tea towels and cloths away from the cooker and hob. Keep your hobs clear of items
• Take care if you need to leave the kitchen while cooking, take pans off the heat or turn them down to avoid risk
• Double check the cooker is off when you’ve finished cooking
• Avoid leaving children in the kitchen alone when cooking on the hob.  Keep matches and saucepan handles out of their reach
• Make sure saucepan handles don’t stick out
• Do not attempt to cook if you have been drinking or are very tired

Could you be an on-call firefighter?

Coggeshall's firefighters are on-call firefighters who all live or work within 5 minutes of an on-call fire station and are paid to protect their local community.

If you live or work within 5 minutes of an on-call fire station, you could be an on-call firefighter. Find out more about the role at join.essex-fire.gov.uk/on-call