Unattended candles cause flat fire

Firefighters were called to a flat fire in Heron Way, Harwich this afternoon after an unattended candle caused a flat fire.

On arrival, crews reported that a flat on the third floor was heavily smoke logged.

Crews worked to extinguish a fire in the bedroom by 4:46pm.

Firefighters believe the fire was caused by an unattended candles that caught a canvas alight.

Crew Manager Tom Jewell from Dovercourt Fire Station said: “Please blow candles out if you need to leave the room, even if it’s only for a moment.

“Candles can quickly cause fires if they are placed too close together or too close to anything they can catch alight like curtains, decorations etc. That is why it is so important to keep an eye on them at all times and to blow them out when you go out of the room.”