Family left homeless after blaze in Clacton home (From Gazette)

Family left homeless after blaze in Clacton home

1:36pm Sunday 22nd July 2012 in News

A FAMILY of five have been left homeless after a blaze ripped through the kitchen of their Clacton home.

The fire brigade said one woman suffered smoke inhalation during this morning's incident in Page Road.

Three fire crews from Clacton and Weeley were called to the blaze at 7.15am today.

The two-storey property was left heavily smoke-logged but all members of the family escaped unhurt.

Sub Officer Reuben Frost said: "The alarm was raised by the woman's daughters after she smelled smoke - the family was lucky she was alert because although they had a smoke alarm fitted, it had no batteries.

"Once she had woken her mother, the whole family left the building and waited for us to arrive. Firefighters had to make a search of all rooms in the house because the woman was unsure as to whether her older son had returned home during the night.

"Crews wearing breathing apparatus made a thorough search and confirmed no-one was inside.

"It appears the fire broke out in the kitchen and was caused accidentally by a kitchen appliance.

"The kitchen was completely destroyed in the incident and most of the rooms smoke damaged, so the place can't be lived in."