Dogs rescued after starting flat fire in Dedham

18 April 2019, 09:30

Two dogs have been rescued from a first floor flat in Dedham after they inadvertently started a fire.

Crews were called to the property in Crown Street last night after a neighbour reported that he had heard the smoke alarm sounding for some time.

On arrival firefighters forced their way into the property, as the homeowner was out at the time, and reported that the kitchen was heavily smoke logged and there was a smouldering fire on the hob.

Crews then rescued two dogs from the kitchen and extinguished the fire by 8.10pm.

The cause of the fire has been recorded as accidental, and started after the hob was turned on and set alight to a bin which had been placed on top of it, out of the way of the dogs.

Watch Manager Stephen Smith, Colchester Fire Station, said:

“Always keep your cooker and hob area clear - even if you’re not intending to turn it on there’s always a chance it can get accidentally turned on.

“Thankfully in this case the contents of the bin was not particularly flammable, meaning the fire did not spread quickly, and instead turned into a slow smouldering fire.”

As the kitchen door was closed the smoke damage was contained to the kitchen.

Watch Manager Smith, added:

“Although the smoke alarm had been sounding for some time the neighbour had assumed that it was a false alarm.

“It wasn’t until the neighbour went out, came back and realised the alarm was still going off that he called the fire service out.

“We always urge people to take note of their neighbour’s smoke alarm - if you hear it, give them a knock to check everything is ok.

“Smoke alarms can warn us, and others around us, of the first sign of fire and should always be taken seriously.”