OUTBUILDINGS have been left severely damaged after a tumble dryer fire spread rapidly in south Essex.

Firefighters were called to Gainsborough Avenue, Tilbury this morning after a tumble dryer set alight and spread to five outbuildings.

When three fire crews arrived at the scene, they found the blaze was starting to spread to a nearby home. 

Station manager Jason Gould said: “When crews arrived they found a well developed fire which had spread to five outbuildings. This was also starting to spread to a nearby house but the quick actions of crews stopped it from spreading further. 

“Unfortunately the outbuildings have been severely fire damaged.” 

A fire investigation has found that the cause was an electrical fault in the tumble dyer. 

Although this fire was caused by a fault in the appliance, Essex Fire Service has issued the following safety tips to stay safe: 

  • Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions
  • Don’t use tumble dryers at night or while unattended
  • Ensure that the appliance has its own plug socket. Do not overload extension leads. Ensure that no more than 13 amps are in any one plug socket

Residents are recommended to register appliances they have at home through Register My Appliance, so they can be the first to hear about known faults and recalls. Visit registermyappliance.org.uk/registration for more information.