FIRE crews rushed to a fire in an outbuilding that spread to a house causing severe damage.

The firefighters were called to reports of a shed fire in Evelyn Place, Chelmsford yesterday at 11.50am.

On arrival, they found that the fire had started in a shed-type building attached to a terraced house, but had spread to the roof and first floor of the house, with the rest of the property also filled with smoke.

Firefighters managed to extinguish the fire by 12:40pm. The first floor and loft in the house suffered severe damage and the house has been left uninhabitable.

The fire is believed to have been caused by a fridge-freezer which was in the outbuilding.

A spokesman for the Essex Fire and Rescue Service: “Incidents like this show how important it is to make sure your kitchen appliances are kept in good working order.

“Electrical appliances that are old or poorly wired can be a real danger. Hot plugs or sockets, scorch marks, fuses that often blow, or flickering light are all signs of loose wiring or other electrical problems.

“Don't overload extension leads and adaptors, they have a limit on how many amps they can take.

“Make sure the outer covering of all power leads is in good condition. Replace frayed or damaged cables or leads.”