Caravan blaze sparks smoke alarm warning

The blaze had been "smouldering for quite a while" before the arrival of firefighters

A fire service has reiterated the importance of having working smoke alarms after the residents of a caravan were unaware a blaze had taken hold of their home.

Crews from Chelmsford and Basildon were called to reports of a fire on Goatsmoor Lane near Stock, Essex, at just after 13:30 GMT.

Upon arrival they saw black smoke through the windows of the caravan before they worked to extinguish the flames.

The cause of the fire was recorded as accidental and was thought to have started following an electrical surge in the fuse board.

The caravan was left uninhabitable as a result of the blaze

Station manager John Warmann said: "The fire had been smouldering for quite a while and has left the caravan completely uninhabitable.

"Unfortunately the residents did not have any working smoke alarms, so were not alerted to the fire.

"We cannot stress enough how important it is to have working smoke alarms in your home. Even in small spaces like caravans."