Essex firefighters send warning after two unattended fires in two days
People are being urged to extinguish candles before they leave their home
Firefighters have warned people in Essex to extinguish candles when they leave the house after two fires caused by unattended candles in as many days.
Dramatic pictures show the damage caused after a fire in Doubleday Drive, Heybridge just before 4pm on Saturday (December 23).
Fire crews found the terraced house full of smoke before they stopped the fire from spreading to other homes in the area.
The warning comes after an unattended candle destroyed a living room in Harlow on December 21.
Crews were called to Felmongers just before 2.50pm after neighbours heard smoke alarms going off.
Firefighters found the house was heavily smoke logged and rescued a dog from the home.
The front room of the house was badly damaged and firefighters believe this was caused by an unattended candle that had overheated on a glass table.
Watch Manager Steve Allen, from Harlow Fire Station, said: “Please make sure to blow any candles out every time you need to leave the room, even if you’re only leaving for a moment.
“Our advice would be to swap real candles for LED candles; they’re much safer.
“We’d also like to highlight the importance of having working smoke alarms, they’re not just there to alert you to a fire but your neighbours and any passers-by too if you’re not home.
“If you or someone you know doesn’t have working smoke alarms at home, we can fit them for free."
You can book a smoke alarm fitting and find more information on the Essex Fire & Rescue website.