Fire in restaurant - smoke alarms fitted

Firefighters were called to reports of a fire in a restaurant in Clacton on Tuesday evening.

On arrival, crews confirmed that the fire was within the kitchen area. Smoke and fire had also begun spreading further throughout the premises.

The fire was extinguished by 9.28pm. We believe it was caused after a build-up of fat and grease in the extractor fan ignited.

John-Paul Charters, Crew Manager at Clacton Fire Station, said: "Crews did a great job to get the fire under control as quickly as possible - given there were quite a few neighbouring properties including a residential property above the restaurant, it was important we stopped this spreading quickly.

"Unfortunately, these types of fire are more common than you think. Fat and grease can easily build-up in your oven and cooking areas at home, not just in restaurants like this. Please, keep your cooking areas clear of any build-ups by cleaning them as regularly as you can - it isn't worth the risk.

"This incident also demonstrated the value of smoke alarms. While the restaurant where the fire started had them and they did their job in alerting everyone to the fire, crews noticed that neighbouring properties didn't. We've fitted them for free - so if you don't have working smoke alarms in your home, please get in touch."

The restaurant has suffered significant damage to the kitchen area, but fortunately, no-one was harmed.