FIREFIGHTERS were called into action in Sible Hedingham last night after a man discovered a fire in his utility room

Crews from Sible Hedingham and Wethersfield were called to the house on Wethersfield Road on Tuesday, November 29.

The homeowner was first alerted to an issue when his electricity tripped out.

He reset the fuse board but it quickly tripped again so he decided to investigate. 

It was at that point he noticed an orange glow coming from behind the door of the utility room.

When he opened the door he was shocked to see three-foot high flames coming from the back of his tumble dryer. 

He tried to tackle the blaze with a fire extinguisher but realised it was too fierce so closed the door, went outside and called 999. 

Firefighters found a heavily smoke-logged house and a fire raging in the utility room.

They managed to extinguish the blaze and then used fans to clear smoke from the house.

Watch manager Darren Hockley, of Wethersfield fire station, said: "The homeowner did the right thing by closing the doors, getting out and calling 999. If you ever discover a fire in your home this is exactly what you should do. 

"This incident raises a few more important safety points that are worth sharing. 

"Firstly, it shows that when your electricity trips, it's a warning to you. Don't ignore it.

"If you don't immediately find the reason for it then arrange for a qualified electrician to check if there is an issue, 

"Secondly, this house only had smoke alarms on the top floor. Although it did go off, the man may have been alerted earlier if there was one on the ground floor too. 

"And finally, it shows why it's so important that you run your appliances, such as dishwashers, tumble dryers and washing machines, while you're awake.

"If this man had been asleep in bed it may have taken longer for him to discover the fire. You're much more likely to be seriously injured, or worse, if a fire starts when you are asleep."

The whole house suffered smoke damage and the utility room has significant fire damage.