FIREFIGHTERS are urging residents to keep their hobs clear after a butane gas canister exploded and blew out a flat's window.

Two crews were called to St Andrews Lane, in Basildon at 8.07pm on Monday night after the resident had accidentally switched on the hob instead of the oven dial, and a butane gas canister which was left on top of the hob heated up.

This caused an "explosion", the fire service says, which blew out the window.

Station Manager Nick Singleton said: “This is the second incident this month where a butane gas canister has been left on the hob, which has heated up and caused an explosion. 

“This is a plea from us to keep your hob clear. We often see incidents where the hob has been accidentally switched on so our best advice would be to keep the hob clear, even if you’re not cooking. Please do not use your hob as a worktop or storage area. 

“Take extra care when refilling lighters with butane to keep it away from all sources of heat, spark or direct sunlight.”

This comes after a similar blaze in Clifftown Road on August 20, where a resident left a bag of items on a hob which included a butane gas canister. 

The resident had accidentally turned on the hob as they were leaving that morning, causing the bag to catch fire with the canister exploding and also causing the window to shatter.