Elderly man made homeless after Saffron Walden flat engulfed by flames

An elderly man has been left homeless after his Saffron Walden flat became engulfed by flames.

Firefighters rushed to the scene on Station Street, at around 2.15pm on Monday, after a fire broke out in the bedroom of the property.

The resident had been out shopping in the town when the blaze started. Officers believe the smoke alarm had been going off for sometime before they were alerted.

The fire, recorded as accidental, caused the flat to become heavily smoke logged. Fire crews, from Saffron Walden, Newport and Stansted, wore breathing apparatus and used two hose reel jets and one main jet to extinguish the flames just before 3pm. A high pressure fan was used to ventilate the flat.

Paul Curtis, station officer in Saffron Walden, said the heat and smoke damage has caused the flat to be “uninhabitable”.

He told the Reporter: “I have no idea when he will be back in there, it is going to be out of action for a few weeks.”

He added: “The smoke alarm had been going off in the flat for some time. If members of the public do hear a smoke alarm they should call the fire brigade of the police to investigate it further.”

The man was taken to Uttlesford District Council (UDC) offices, on London Road, by the police. The council has put him in temporary accommodation and are providing him with clothes and food.

UDC is also working with other agencies “to give him the support he needs”.

Essex Police at 2.30pm on Monday and assisted with traffic and crowd control at the scene.

A spokesman for the police said: “The fire is not being treated as suspicious no further police involvement is required.”