Fire spreads from garden shed in Pevensey Bay

At 3.11am today (Tuesday, May 4) crews attended a fire at a residential property in Maresfield Drive.

According to East Sussex Fire & Rescue (ESFRS), crews from Pevensey, Eastbourne and Hastings attended.

The fire started in a garden shed and spread to a neighbouring shed. Due to high winds, the fire was pushed towards two residential properties which in turn became involved in the fire, crews said.

Firefighters were said to have used eight breathing apparatus, two hose reel jets and two jet hoses to extinguish the fire.

The service said, residents in both properties were alerted to the fire by working smoke alarms and self-evacuated before the fire took hold. Three people were handed over to the care of South East Coast Ambulance suffering from minor injuries.

A fire investigation is due to take place later on today.

This incident has prompted the fire service to stress the importance of smoke alarms.

Simon Neill, group manager for ESFRS, said, “The householders all had working smoke alarms which meant that when this incident happened, they were quickly alerted to the fire and were able to self-evacuate promptly. This shows just how important it is to make sure you have alarms on every level of your house.

“We can help you find the best place to put them, give you additional safety advice and in many cases, provide you with the alarms themselves.”

The service has revealed you are four times more likely to die in a fire at home if you haven’t got a working smoke alarm.

A spokesperson for the service said, “A smoke alarm is the easiest way to alert you to the danger of fire, giving you time to escape. They are cheap, easy to get hold of and easy to fit.

“The more alarms you have, the safer you’ll be - as long as they are working - so make sure you test them weekly.”

For more information go to: https://www.esfrs.org/your-safety/home-safety-visits/