FIREFIGHTERS have encouraged families to regulary check smoke alarms after a kitchen fire in Basildon.

Two crews were called a flat in Herschell Court on the Beechwood Estate after a toaster set on fire just after 8pm on Sunday (March 4).

The fire was out before the crews arrived and a 36-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman suffered from smoke inhalation.

They were placed in the care of the Ambulance Service just before 8.30pm.

Following the fire in the kitchen, Assistant Divisional Officer Chris Noakes said: “Our firefighters attend hundreds of fires a year which originate in the kitchen.

"Cooking is one of the major causes of fires in the home and even the smallest kitchen fire can cause devastation to your home and leave loved ones injured or even killed.

“The best advice I can give is make sure that you fit, and regularly test, a smoke alarm.

"It is the single most important piece of safety equipment in any home.

"A smoke alarm provides vital warning that a fire has broken out waking sleeping people up and giving everyone time to get safely out.”