A RESIDENT has been left homeless after an electric heater set light to nearby furniture.

The incident resulted in the property becoming engulfed in flames.

Firefighters from Clacton, Colchester and Weeley fire stations were all called to London Road, Clacton, shortly after 8am on Sunday.

Upon arriving at the scene, the four crews were confronted by a “well-developed” fire on the ground floor of an end-of-terrace house.

The fast-acting firefighters successfully managed to stop the blaze from spreading throughout the home but the property did suffer significant smoke damage.

Gazette:

Crews remained at the scene into the afternoon to check for hotspots, while the occupant of the house received treatment for smoke inhalation.

Following an investigation into the cause of the inferno, crews concluded a halogen heater had set fire to a piece of furniture and other nearby items.

Eyewitness John Sacco was on his way to the allotments early on Sunday morning when he noticed the emergency services battling the blaze. 

He said: "There were three fire engines outside this house first thing in the morning and I just thought to myself: 'Christ, what the hell?' 

"I could see inside the house and it was total smoke and the firefighters appeared to be looking to see how safe the building was. 

"It looked really dark and ugly inside and it was not in a fit state. 

"There were some paramedics at the scene but I do hope there no casualties."

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Dave Bond, station manager, has now praised his firefighters for their work in dealing with the fire and also issued safety advice to residents.

He said: “Crews did a fantastic job of stopping what was a significant fire from spreading from the room where it started.

“Unfortunately the house has been left uninhabitable, due to smoke damage throughout.

“However, had it not been for the hard work of watch manager John-Paul Charters and the crews, it could have been a lot worse.

“We believe the fire started when a halogen heater set alight furniture or other items nearby.

“Please take care if you’re using an electric heater - keep it well away from anything that could catch fire, plug it into the mains rather than an extension lead and make sure the heater is in good condition.”