Firefighter calls for electrical safety checks after crews called to Colchester loft fire (From Gazette)

Firefighter calls for electrical safety checks after crews called to Colchester loft fire

12:15pm Saturday 26th January 2013 in News

A SENIOR firefighter has warned residents to make sure their homes are electrically safe.

Trevor Watson, station officer at Colchester fire station, issued the warning after fire crews were called to a house when a loft briefly caught fire after an electric cable overheated.

Three crews from Colchester arrived at the semi-detached home, in Sycamore Road, Colchester at about 10.50am on Saturday morning to find a woman and two children safely outside.

Firefighters wore breathing kit and used two hose reels to extinguish the fire by 11.35am.

Station officer Watson said: "The loft area was heavily smoke-logged and crews extinguished the fire and prevented it from spreading to the house next door.

"It appears the fire started when an electrical cable over heated and caught fire to clothes and books stored in the loft area.”

Mr Watson added: “All too often it is the simple things that people could check for themselves that can lead to a serious accident. “So we are urging everyone to make basic visual checks around the home to ensure its electrical safety.

“This check should look for old or worn flexes and make sure that all appliances are clean, well-cared for and in good working order."