Family homeless and cat dead after Great Hallingbury house fire

A family are homeless and their pet cat is dead after a kitchen blaze in Great Hallingbury on Monday evening (March 10).

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service crews from Stansted and Great Dunmow were called to a house in Mead Field Drive at 7.49pm.

According to the brigade, the resident accidentally left items on top of the hot hob and left to go to work.

It confirmed the house was uninhabitable because of the smoke damage and a cat died at the scene.

Crew manager Steve Perry said: “When we arrived, the fire was already out but the house was full of smoke.

“We believe items were accidentally left on top of the hob which set alight, the fire spreading to the surrounding kitchen appliances.

“It’s incredibly easy to accidentally turn your hob on, and if that happens and something is on top of it, a kitchen fire is inevitable. So please, keep your hob and oven clean and clear of clutter at all times.”

Following the incident, residents have been urged never to use their hob or cooker as a storage area and to keep tea towels and cloths away from the stove.

Householders should also keep their oven, hob and grill clean and in good working order – a build-up of fat and grease can ignite a fire. They should also double-check the cooker is off after use.