Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters were called to a house fire on Bonham Road in Dagenham.
Part of the ground floor of a mid-terraced house was damaged by the fire. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus rescued a woman from the first floor. She was treated at the scene and taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews.
The Brigade was called at 2256 and the fire was under control by 2341. Fire crews from Barking, Dagenham, Romford and Ilford fire stations were at the scene.
The fire is believed to have been accidental and was caused by cooking left unattended which caught light to nearby items.
Firefighters' cooking safety tips
- Don’t leave cooking unattended on the hob or grill – if you have to leave the kitchen, turn off the heat.
- Have a heat alarm fitted in your kitchen. Fitting a heat alarm in your kitchen will give you warning of an increase in temperature caused by a fire but will not be set off by cooking fumes.
- Not feeling 100 per cent? Order a takeaway – if you're very tired, have been drinking alcohol or are taking medication that might make you drowsy, it's safer not to risk it.
- Be fabric aware – loose clothing can easily catch fire, so take care not to lean over a hot hob, and always keep tea towels and cloths away from the cooker and hob.
- Double check the cooker and hob are turned off when you’ve finished cooking.
- Check toasters are clean and not placed under kitchen cabinets or close to anything that can catch fire.
