A PENSIONER managed to escape into his garden just in time as a blaze tore through his home.

The fire was sparked by an electrical fault at the bungalow in The Avenue, Clacton.

George Pickering, 90, who lives alone, was preparing to get into the shower when he heard his smoke alarms going off.

He went to investigate and found flames spreading quickly through his living room.

Mr Pickering was forced to rush straight outside into the back garden – abandoning his clothes, glasses, hearing aid and walking stick.

Neighbours called the fire brigade and raced over to help Mr Pickering to safety.

Three fire crews reached the fire within minutes, extinguishing it in an hour. But it still caused major damage, reducing nearly everything in the living room to ash.

The rest of the home was left blackened by the thick smoke which engulfed the property, while kitchen appliances and televisions were melted and contorted by the heat.

Clacton and Frinton Gazette:

Mr Pickering’s daughter Chris Rogan said: “He heard the smoke alarmwhen he was in the bathroom and panicked when he saw the flames.

“The neighbours saw the fire and called the fire brigade and dad was taken to hospital.

Clacton and Frinton Gazette:

“He suffered smoke inhalation because the place filled up so quickly, but he’s OK in the grand scheme of things.

“ I think the shock has set in now.

“We managed to salvage a few photos and little bits, but almost everything is gone. It’s tragic.

“Seeing the house is scary. I don’t know if it can be saved or if it will have to be rebuilt.

“But he’s alright and that’s the main thing.

Clacton and Frinton Gazette:

“Through the whole thing the neighbours have been absolutely brilliant. They have been so kind and helpful and I don’t know what we would have done without them.

“It makes all the difference having an amazing community around you when something like this happens.”

The home was insured and will now be assessed by insurance experts.

Mr Pickering’s son Steve said: “You don’t know how quickly fires like this can spread until you see the damage with your own eyes.

“But we had smoke alarms fitted in every room and they did their job here, or it would have been much worse.

“Hopefully this shows anyone without an alarm how important they are.”

The blaze happened at about 10.30am on Thursday.