Southend house fire caused by reptile heat lamp kills parrot and four lizards

A parrot and four lizards were killed in a fire started by a heat lamp in a reptile enclosure in the middle of the night.

Fire crews were called to a home in Southend at 2.35am on Monday after the owner was woken by the smell of smoke, and found a room alight and full of smoke.

They were able to stop the fire spreading to other rooms, and extinguished the fire within an hour.

However the room where the reptiles were being kept suffered significant damage, said Essex Fire and Rescue Service.

Firefighters rescued a bearded dragon and four lizards.

But a parrot and four other lizards died at the scene, a spokesman said.

The service said the incident should serve as a reminder to people to fit smoke alarms in their homes, and to ensure the ones they do have are in working order.

Watch manager Scott Fretton, said: “We really want to highlight the importance of having working smoke alarms. We recommend everyone has at least one working smoke alarm on each level of their property.

"Smoke alarms save lives, and are often the first sign of a fire in your home.”