ESSEX County Fire and Rescue Service has issued a warning to householders not to overload sockets, after an investigation into the cause of a blaze that gutted the upstairs of a borough home in the week.

Firefighters were called to deal with the blaze on Central Avenue in Corringham on Wednesday (28 September) which caused extensive damage.

Watch Manager Steve Barclay said: "We believe the fire was caused by an overloaded plug socket. Plugging too many things into a socket can cause a fire if the socket overheats.

"To use sockets safely, stick to one adaptor per socket and avoid plugging adaptors into each other. Bar adaptors are generally better to use than block adaptors. Extension leads have a limit on how many amps they can take, make sure you're not overloading them."

"The property didn't have any working smoke alarms to alert the residents of the fire either.

Wednesday's fire in Corringham.

"We can't say it enough, make sure you have working smoke alarms on every level of your home so you and your family are alerted to the first signs of a fire in your home.

"If you have smoke alarms at home, make sure to test them regularly to make sure they work when you need them the most. If you haven't got any working smoke alarms, we can fit them for free. Please visit essex-fire.gov.uk/book to book in a free home fire safety visit."

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Follow the service's electrical fire safety advice:

• Look out for signs: hot plugs or sockets, scorch marks, fuses that often blow, or flickering light are all signs of loose wiring or other electrical problems
• Replace badly wired plugs: any wires sticking out could come loose and debris could also get into the plug
• Don't overload sockets, leads or adaptors: plugging too many electrical appliances into one socket can lead to overheating. Extension leads and adaptors have a limit on how many amps they can take
• Use sockets safely: it's better to use a bar adaptor (multi board) on a lead than a block adaptor
• Only use one adaptor per socket: don't plug one adaptor into another and try to keep to one plug per socket