Five dogs rescued from overloaded plug socket fire

Five dogs were rescued from a property after a fire that was caused by an overloaded plug socket.

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service was called to a property in Takely End in Basildon, at 17:07 GMT on Thursday, where two people escaped through an upstairs window with the help of neighbours.

The service said the cause of the fire was related to Christmas tree lights and an extension socket that had several electrical items plugged into it.

Kevin Smith, watch manager for the fire service, said: "The property didn't have working smoke alarms and because the occupants were upstairs it delayed how quickly they realised there was a fire."

The fire service said the dogs were left in the care of the RSPCA, and the two occupants, who had breathed in smoke, were left in the care of the ambulance service.

"As well as highlighting the importance of having at least one working smoke alarm on every floor, the incident show how vital it is to plan an escape route and make sure your exits are accessible in case of an emergency," Mr Smith added.

Safety advice was issued by the service reminding people not to overload plug sockets or multiple-socket plug extension cables.

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