Tumble dryer fire - firefighters rescue three cats

Firefighters were called to a tumble dryer on fire in a terraced house in Basildon this morning.

When fire crews arrived they reported the ground floor of the house was full of smoke.

The occupants were alerted to the fire by their working smoke alarms, so were able to get out of the house and call 999 immediately. 

Crew Manager Daniel Tolley said:

"When we got to the fire, the occupants were thankfully safely outside as they were alerted by their working smoke alarms. They told us they had three cats in the house, so our firefighters wore breathing apparatus and went into the house and got them out. We extinguished the fire quickly and stopped it spreading beyond the kitchen. The kitchen has been badly damaged, but it could have been a lot worse if the occupants were not home at the time and they did not have working smoke alarms.

"Incidents like this show how important it is to take extra care when using tumble dryers. If you have a tumble dryer at home please follow our advice to stay safe:

• Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions
• Don’t use tumble dryers at night or while unattended
• Clean the filters after each use to ensure they do not become blocked with fluff
• Items should be removed from the dryer immediately after the cycle and shaken loose to assist cooling
• Ensure that the appliance has its own plug socket. Do not overload extension leads. Ensure that no more than 13 amps are in any one plug socket.