FIREFIGHTERS have issued safety advice following a fire at a ground floor flat in Long Riding, Basildon, last night (Sunday, 20 March) which has left two people homeless.

Crews were called to the property at 7.19pm when a neighbour dialled 999 after hearing a smoke alarm go off.

When they arrived the property was heavily smoke logged and firefighters believed the occupants were still aside. They carried out a full search and rescued two cats, two snakes and two geckos. Unfortunately two budgies had died.

Luckily, the residents were found to have been out for the evening so were not in the building at the time.

It is thought the fire may have been caused by an electrical charger left unattended or by discarded smoking materials.

Watch Manager Howard Midwood paid tribute to the bravery and skill of the crews who entered the property and to the professionalism of the control room team who assisted during the incident.

He said: "Initially we thought there were people trapped but thanks to the bravery and skill of the crew entering the premises and the information we received from the control room, we could ascertain that nobody was in the property. The control room team really are the unsung heroes of our Service. They do a great job.

"I would like to take this opportunity to remind people not to leave items charging unattended and to dispose of smoking materials properly."

Fire Service advice when using chargers:

Don't leave items on charge or plugged in overnight or whilst you are out of the house.

Don't leave items on charge for long periods.

Look out for the CE mark that indicates chargers comply with European Safety standards.