Smoke alarm alerts family to fire caused by item left on charge
Crews have issued advice after a smoke alarm alerted a family to a fire caused by an item left on charge.
We were called to an end terrace house in Schoolfield Road, West Thurrock yesterday (Thursday 12 June) at 5.10am.
Two crews from Grays and one from Orsett attended and found the first floor completely alight and filled with smoke.
Crew Manager Matt Edwards said: "A loft light left on charge overnight in a first floor bedroom set fire to bedding.
"Fortunately the house had a working smoke alarm which alerted the three occupants. They did exactly the right thing and got out, stayed out and called 999.
"Crews did a fantastic job extinguishing the fire and stopping it from spreading to the roof space and adjoining property."
The fire was extinguished at 5.55am.
Crew Manager Edwards said: "The incident is a reminder of how important it is to have a working smoke alarm on every floor of your property.
"A smoke alarm acts as an early warning and gives you and your family time to escape."
If you or someone you know does not have working smoke alarms, visit essex-fire.gov.uk/book or call 0300 303 0088.
Charging advice
Charging electrical items can cause a real danger in your home. Please follow this safety advice:
- Don’t leave items on charge or plugged in overnight or while you are out of the house
- Never leave chargers plugged in and turned on when they are not in use
- Avoid leaving items on charge for long periods
- Only use the charger supplied by the manufacturer
- Look out for the CE mark that indicates chargers comply with European Safety standards
