Smoke alarm alerts neighbour to cooking fire

Firefighters were called to a kitchen fire last night after food was left cooking while no-one was home.

Crews were called to a property in Caister Drive, Basildon at 10:16pm, when a neighbour heard a fire alarm in a property across the road.

On arrival, firefighters confirmed that a second floor flat was completely smoke logged after food had been left in the oven.

Firefighters cleared the smoke by 10:43pm.

More than half of accidental fires at home are started by cooking - follow our cooking safety advice to stay safe in your kitchen.

• Take care if you need to leave the kitchen while cooking. Take pans off the heat or turn them down to avoid risk
• Never leave your property unattended when the oven or other cooking appliances are in use
• Avoid leaving children in the kitchen alone when cooking on the hob. Keep matches and saucepan handles out of their reach to keep them safe
• Make sure saucepan handles don’t stick out – so they don’t get knocked off the stove
• Take care if you’re wearing loose clothing – this can easily catch fire
• Keep tea towels and cloths away from the cooker and hob
• Double check the cooker is off when you’ve finished cooking

Do you have working smoke alarms in your home?

Smoke alarms save lives. They can alert your family as well as your neighbours and passersby to a fire in your home if you're not in.

We recommend you have at least one working smoke alarm on every level of your home and that you test them at least once a month.

If you or someone you know doesn’t have working smoke alarms at home, please get in touch. Visit essex-fire.gov.uk/book or call 0300 303 0088.