A MOTHER today thanked firefighters after they tackled a blaze in her kitchen, which was accidentally caused by her daughter.

Naomi Cassidy

A MOTHER today thanked firefighters after they tackled a blaze in her kitchen, which was accidentally caused by her daughter.

Emily Probert, 23, of Europa Way, Ipswich, had left bags of shopping on top of her electrical oven yesterday and went into the living room. Some time later she smelt burning and went into the kitchen to find smoke pouring out of the window.

Fire crews arrived at about 10.30am and extinguished the flames before clearing the smoke from the house.

Miss Probert's 18-month-old daughter, Rachel, had turned on two knobs of the oven, which then caused the plastic bags to overheat and catch alight. The toddler was given some oxygen at the scene as a precaution.

Miss Probert said: “I could smell something but thought it was coming from outside. I went in the kitchen and couldn't believe it.

“I got a CO2 fire extinguisher and started putting it out but then I noticed Rachel around my legs so I left it down and took her into the living room and shut the door.

“The firefighters arrived quickly and they were really good. I want to say a big thanks to them.

“They told me not to put shopping on the oven and said to turn it off at the mains whenever it is not being used. Rachel is just at the age when everything is interesting to touch. She was very excited when all the firefighters arrived. They just gave her some oxygen as a precaution but she was fine.”

Two fire crews were then called at 10.40am yesterday to a washing machine fire in Thackeray Road. It was under control in just over ten minutes.

Meanwhile firefighters were called to an Ipswich home in the early hours of today after a shed caught light.

Flames took hold in the shed measuring five metres by five metres in Pickwick Road at about 4am.

A single fire crew attended the scene and the flames were under control by 4.25am.

One neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said she woke to the noise of a car horn and spotted the fire when she looked outside.

She said: “I called the fire engine but it had already been called. The flames were huge. We were worried that it might come through to our garden.

“It was quite scary.”

Have you had a lucky escape in your home? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk