18 February 2023 , 08:51
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A family-of-four have been made homeless after an electrical heater fire ripped through their house and destroyed it completely.
Firefighters were called to the blaze just before 8.30am on Wednesday, January 15, as it is believed that the fire was started by a portable heater.
On arrival, crews reported that the house was heavily smoke logged.
But by 9.36am, the fire was successfully put out, as Colchester Fire Station firefighters say the family's quick escape saved their lives.
However, the flames caused extreme damage throughout the property.
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It completely tore throughout the house, leaving it charred and black, as doors, flooring and the ceiling have crumbled.
The smoke and fire damaged the entire home, leaving it charred (Essex Live WS)One of the rooms however was saved as the door was shut, and this managed to stop the fire from spreading any further, the fire service said.
Tragically, the family - who were in the same room in the property in Colchester, Essex, as the heater when it caught fire - have been made homeless due to the damage.
Now, fire crews have now urged the public to "stay with the heaters while they are on" just in case there is a fault with them or they catch nearby materials alight.
Station manager Terry Maher from Colchester Fire Station told Essex Live.: "In what was a frightening moment for the residents who were in the room with the heater when it caught alight, they acted quickly to get out of the house to safety. The fire and smoke spread rapidly and their quick escape saved their lives.
"If there is a fire in your home, it’s so important to get yourself out of the house as quickly and as safely as you can and to call the fire service."
A family have now been made homeless after a reported electrical heater fire destroys house on Turner Road, Colchester (Essex Live WS)He continued to add that when it is possible, people should "close doors to rooms" on their way out in order to prevent fires and smoke from spreading.
Mr Maher said: "If you can and it is safe to do so, try to close doors to rooms on your way out of the house to help prevent the fire and smoke spreading. As you can see in one of the photos where the bedroom door upstairs had been closed, shutting doors can help to contain fire and smoke This not only makes it safer for our firefighters who can get the fire under control quickly but it can also help to minimise the damage to your property.
"Like many people this winter, the residents had been using a portable heater to keep the room they were in warm and we’d like to highlight how important it is to stay with the heaters while they are on just in case there is a fault or they catch nearby materials alight. Keep the heaters well away from anything they can catch alight like furniture or curtains and washing etc."