Ipswich: Laundry mishap leads to kitchen blaze drama

IPSWICH: A family are today cleaning up the mess from a fire which left their kitchen blackened by smoke.

Joanne Fairweather had emptied the tumble dryer of clothes at her Bramford Road home and placed the pile of laundry on the ceramic hob, before nipping out and returning home with her mother-in-law yesterday afternoon.

Little did Mrs Fairweather know, until arriving back home at about 2.45pm, that she had inadvertently switched on the hob and a fire was now burning in the kitchen.

Firefighters, responding to a neighbour’s emergency call, arrived on the scene just as the pair were entering the house – but one occupant had not been accounted for.

“We found the dog whimpering at the door,” said Margie, Mrs Fairweather’s mother-in-law.

Oscar the Labrador-dalmatian cross was safely transported next door while two Princes Street fire crews dealt with the blaze.

Mrs Fairweather, 37, said: “Our neighbours first thought we had burnt some toast because the smoke alarm was going off. But when they saw smoke coming from the house they called for help.

“We couldn’t see through the smoke when we got here.”

Husband Spencer, also 37, said: “The fire brigade were absolutely superb. They were in and out in 15 minutes.

“Now we’ll have to replace the cooker and the cupboards.”

After tackling the blaze, firefighters ensured the area was safe and ventilated the property before heading back to the station at about 3pm.

n Do you have reason to be grateful to the emergency services? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or alternatively you can send an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk