FIREFIGHTERS are urging people to test their fire alarms after a kitchen blaze in Clacton.

Two crews from Clacton fire station were called to The Avenue at about 10.50am on Tuesday.

On arrival, crews reported that there was a fire in the kitchen of a bungalow.

They worked to extinguish the blaze by 11.14am.

The fire was caused by an electrical fault in a toaster and the kitchen suffered some smoke damage.

Watch Manager Jim Bowyer from Clacton Fire Station said: “The resident did the right thing in this incident when spotting the fire.

"As soon as she noticed it, she got out of the house, stayed out and called the fire service out.

“I would use this incident to highlight the importance of having a working smoke alarm.

"The resident spotted this fire herself but her smoke alarms would have alerted her had she been in another room or asleep.

“Make sure your smoke alarms are working by giving them a test and if they’re not, please let our home fire safety team know who can offer advice.”

To contact Essex County Fire and Rescue Service's home fire safety team, call 0300 303 0088 or go to essex-fire.gov.uk/Home_Fire_Safety.