Fire at home in Greenhithe
An unlikely train of events led to a
blaze that destroyed half of a kitchen in Greenhithe.
A vacuum cleaner toppled over in a
kitchen at a home in Eagles Road in Greenhithe on Thursday
afternoon.
It fell onto a switch of an electric
oven which turned on and began heating up.
The homeowners, who were out at the
time, returned to find their house filled with smoke, just before
3.30pm.
Two fire engines were sent and crews
quickly got the flames under control before cutting away parts of
the kitchen cupboards to check for fire spread.
A thermal imaging camera was used to
check for hot spots
Dartford watch manager Dave Boakes
said: "The fire had been smouldering for some time before we were
alerted. The heat had cracked window panes and melted the cupboard
fronts. The whole property was filled with thick black smoke.
"This highlights how easily a fire can
break out. My advice to residents is to ensure cookers and other
appliances are always switched off after use and never store items
around ovens and hobs.
"It is essential that you have working
smoke alarms fitted in your home as they provide an early warning
of fire."
The fire also caused heavy smoke
damage throughout the house.
23/11/12