Rochford couple fled home after fire tore through bedroom

Tracey Blackman and her husband were met with a wall of thick black smoke moments after hearing a “loud bang” in their home, in Ashcombe, Rochford. 

Firefighters told Tracey her quick-thinking to close the bedroom door before fleeing the home and calling 999 was the “only reason” the fire did not rip through the top floor and destroy the home. 

Damage - The fire in the bedroom, in Rochford (Image: Tracey Blackman)

Tracey had just left the home to go on a run when she heard a “loud bang” and rushed back into the home. 

After scooping up her two cats, alerting her husband, and running outside to dial 999 the fire service arrived within minutes. 

However, thanks to the fire service’s swift response, and Tracey closing the bedroom door, the rest of her home was “saved.”

Tracey, who owns TJ’s Beauty Lounge in Westcliff, said: “It happened so quickly.

“I had just been on a fire marshal course for work just days prior and learnt to close the door if there is a fire.

“The fire service said if all the doors were open upstairs, the fire would have damaged the whole of the upstairs.

“It is horrible, but we want to raise awareness around the simple steps of closing the doors as it saved our house.

“Our fire, apart from smoke damage, was contained to one room because of this, otherwise we would have lost our whole house.

“It is quite an eye opener, and it is probably the best spent money to go on that course from a fire safety point of view.”

The bedroom of the home was completely destroyed by the blaze, but thanks to the door being closed it was contained to one room, apart from the additional smoke and water damage.

An investigation into the cause is currently underway.

Tracey added: “It is scary stuff. The fire service only took around five minutes, but at the time it felt like the longest five minutes ever.

“I want to say a massive thank you to the fire crews who attended, we are so grateful they saved our house.”