A fire which started when a person fell asleep while cooking has prompted a safety warning.

Crews have issued safety advice after a fire started in a third floor flat in Groves Close, Colchester, today (August 26) at 2.07am.

The occupant had started cooking but left a pan on the hob and fell asleep.

The property’s smoke alarm alerted the occupant’s teenage son who took the pan off the hob and raised the alarm.

A resident at the flats had also heard the smoke alarm and saw smoke coming from the property. He did not enter the property but called 999.

Crews were quickly on the scene and used a fan to ventilate the property. Watch Manager Peter Donovan said: “Thankfully the property had working smoke alarms, which alerted the occupants, and other people living in the flats, to the fire.

“The resident did exactly the right thing after he heard the alarm; he got out, stayed out and called the fire service out.

“The incident also highlights the dangers of leaving cooking unattended. Make sure you don’t fall asleep if you have put something on the hob or in the oven.”