A tumble dryer blaze which left a house uninhabitable but which saw its occupants escape safely has prompted a smoke alarm warning.

The incident happened at a home in Fairfields, Thetford, at the start of December, after the people living there had gone to bed with the tumble dryer on.

In the early hours of the morning a fire started in the tumble dryer, which was kept in a small cupboard near the front door.

Smoke alarms alerted those living in the house to the fire and they evacuated through the back door and raised the alarm.

However, the damage was so severe it left the house uninhabitable.

Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service urged people to check their smoke alarms.

Norfolk’s assistant chief fire officer Tim Edwards said: “Tumble driers and washing machines should be correctly installed and we would ask Norfolk’s residents not to leave them on overnight.

"Cleaning the filters regularly prevents fluff from building up in the machine. Registering appliances when you buy them means you can be easily notified of any safety recalls.

"The simplest way to improve safety in the home is to ensure that, as in this incident, your home is fitted with working smoke alarms which give early warning of a fire, giving you enough time to get out safely.”