Fire crews rushed to a blazing first-floor flat in a terraced house in Langdon Hills late last night. The fire was already intense when they arrived, prompting a rapid response to contain the flames.
The officer in charge immediately ordered an Aerial Ladder Platform to tackle the fire from above. Essex Police officers secured the area, establishing a safety cordon to protect both firefighters and neighbours.
By 10:30pm, firefighters had brought the blaze under control and fully extinguished it by 11:17pm. Unfortunately, the damage was extensive enough to leave the occupants homeless.
An investigation revealed that the fire started accidentally when a charger overheated and caught fire in a bedroom.
Watch Manager John-Paul Charters warned of the hidden dangers, stating: “Firefighters here worked extremely hard to keep the fire as contained as possible. When we arrived, the fire was rapidly spreading and could have easily spread to neighbouring properties. Unfortunately, the house where the fire began has been destroyed. We believe this incident was caused by a charger overheating, which happens more frequently than you might think. Please do not leave chargers on for extended periods of time or unattended – the risk is not worth it.”
Experts are urging the public to remain vigilant with electrical devices, especially chargers, to help prevent similar fire incidents in the future.
Originally published by UKNIP.
