FIREFIGHTERS were called to a fire in the kitchen of a terraced house. The resident, a 73 year old woman, was alerted to the fire by her smoke alarm.
The fire occurred at 6.20pm on Monday evening at Milton Gardens in Tilbury.
Sub Officer Kevin Hercock from Orsett Fire Station said:
“The fire had started in the kitchen after a chip pan on the hob caught fire. The hob had been left on accidently after the woman had finished cooking her dinner.
“She was in the living room when the fire broke out and her smoke alarm alerted her that something was wrong. When she discovered the fire, she called 999 and got out of the property safely and waited for us to arrive. She did exactly the right thing.
“The pan fire spread to some of the kitchen units and the house was heavily smoke logged.”
Sub Hercock added: “Incidents like this show how important smoke alarms are. They provide vital early warning at the first sign of fire giving everyone in the home the chance to get safely out before calling the fire service.
“A smoke alarm is the most important piece of equipment in any home. It is vital that smoke alarms are properly fitted and regularly tested.
“Relying on a passerby to warn of a fire is just not the best way to protect you and your family. A smoke alarm will sound at the first sign of fire, day or night. Just three breaths of toxic smoke can be enough to kill if you are sleeping when a fire breaks out.”
Crews wore two sets of breathing apparatus and used two hose reels to extinguish the fire. A thermal image camera was used to check for any remaining hotspots. The incident was dealt with by 18:39hrs.
ECFRS provides home fire safety visits to vulnerable members of the community, please call 0845 6012495
