Colchester family escapes house fire started by portable heater

Fire crews say the house fire was started by a faulty portable heater

A family has been left homeless after a fire started by a portable heater broke out in their home.

Essex County Fire and Rescue were called to the house on Turner Road in Colchester at 08:28 GMT on Wednesday where they found it well-alight.

The family-of-four managed to leave the house safely but were now homeless due to the fire and smoke damage.

Firefighters said they believed the fire was caused by an electrical fault in a portable heater.

The blaze at the Colchester home has caused extensive damage leaving the family homeless

Terry Maher, from Colchester fire station, said: "In what was a frightening moment for the residents who were in the room with the heater when it caught alight, they acted quickly to get out of the house to safety. x

Shutting doors managed to stop fire spreading to a bedroom, fire service said

"The fire and smoke spread rapidly and their quick escape saved their lives.

"Like many people this winter, the residents had been using a portable heater to keep the room they were in warm and we'd like to highlight how important it is to stay with the heaters while they are on just in case there is a fault or they catch nearby materials alight."

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