A family house was damaged and two kittens had to be given oxygen when a fire broke out in a Colchester house.
The blaze started in the terraced council house at Cyril Child Close, Greenstead, while the occupants were out.
Neighbours alerted the fire brigade and eight firefighters dealt with the incident on Thursday.
They broke down the front door and discovered thick smoke had spread throughout the house.
Two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus went in to search and found the two tabby cats.
They brought them outside and used medical kits to give them a mixture of oxygen and air.
The fire had started in the hallway where a vacuum cleaner had been left plugged into the socket. It had been smouldering for some time.
A spokesman for Colchester fire station said: "There was thick, black smoke throughout the house. It was coming out of the upstairs window. We looked through the front door and could see the seat of the fire.
"It had been burning for a long time, there were flames in the hallway and the base of the stairs. The vacuum cleaner and plug had completely melted and the hall carpet had burnt through."
He added: "The cats were a bit dirty and sneezy but were all right and they were left in the care of a friend of the family."
Colchester Council said redecorating would be carried out but the property was habitable.
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