A FAMILY fled their Fenland home last night after discovering a fire in their kitchen.

Two crews from Wisbech were called to the blaze in Beatrice Road, Wisbech, at 9.50pm. The family were alerted to the fire by their smoke alarm and dialled 999 before getting out of the house.

Crews arrived and entered the house wearing breathing apparatus. They discovered a frying pan which had been left unattended in the kitchen and had caught fire.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze using one hose reel and one covering jet. They also rescued a hamster from the house before returning to their station by 10.30pm.

The cause of the fire was accidental.

A fire service spokesperson said: “This goes to show just how quickly a fire can develop when cooking is left unattended.

“We would urge other residents to ensure they don’t get distracted while cooking. It is also important to have a working smoke alarm fitted so that if a fire does occur, you and your family have plenty of warning, giving you time to escape safely.”