FIRE crews have issued safety advice after a fire left a family temporarily homeless.

Firefighters were called to Pear Tree Mead, Harlow today at 6.34am and found a fire in the kitchen.

The family of four were safely outside the terraced house when crews arrived. Their smoke alarms were not working but they were alerted by a carbon monoxide alarm.

Watch Manager Kevin Jenner said: “The family did the right thing on discovering the fire – they got out, stayed out and called 999.

“Crews quickly extinguished the fire and prevented any further damage to the property then used fans to clear the smoke.

“We think the fire started due to an electrical fault with a halogen cooker and spread to items on the worktop. We would encourage people to keep work surfaces and hobs clear when they are not in use to stop any potential fire from spreading.

“The family have not been in the house long and hadn’t got around to making sure they had working smoke alarms. Unfortunately, the house will be uninhabitable until repairs are made.”

The fire was fully extinguished by 7.06am and has been recorded as accidental.