ESSEX Firefighters were called to a property in Harlow this afternoon, when a pan caught fire and spread quickly through the house.

Crews were called to Canons Brook in Harlow at 1:44pm after an occupant was unsuccessful in extinguishing a fire in his kitchen.

On arrival, firefighters confirmed a fire, which started in the kitchen, had spread through the both floors of the property. They also confirmed the house was heavily smoke-logged.

Crews worked quickly to extinguish the fire by 2:20pm, then ventilated the property and the adjoining properties which had also been affected by smoke. A man in his fifties suffered from burns and smoke inhalation was taken to hospital.

The property suffered significant damage as a result of the fire and is now unfortunately uninhabitable.

Watch Manager Danes at Harlow Fire Station said: “I’d like to praise the gentleman for recognising that the fire was beyond being extinguished safely. He did exactly what we’d want people to do in this situation – he got out, stayed out and called 999.

“A smoke alarm will alert you to the first sign of fire in your home. These kinds of incidents really highlight how important it is to have working smoke alarms on every level of your property. Without one, this incident could have had a very different outcome.”