A PET dog sparked a kitchen fire in the early hours after jumping up and switching on a hob.

Two fire crews from Clacton were called to the blaze in Elm Grove at 4.20am on Thursday.

The residents were woken up by their smoke alarms and got out of the house and called the fire service.

Their dog had managed to turn the hob, following which a pan on top of it caught fire.

Crew manager Andrew Deex, from Clacton Fire Station, said the fire - which caused some damage to the hob - was put out by 4.40am.

He added: “Luckily, the residents had working smoke alarms to alert them quickly to this fire before it spread and we'd advise everyone to make sure they test their smoke alarms regularly.

"The residents did the right thing in getting out of the house, staying out and calling us out.

“I’d advise the public to switch off any appliances they don’t use at night and to keep the hob clear once you’ve finished cooking.

"We’ve seen pets turn on hobs before and this can reduce the risk of a house fire.”

Another pet dog caused a kitchen fire after turning on a hob in Boxted Avenue, Clacton, in October.

A neighbour spotted spoke and called the fire service, following which crews quickly extinguished the small blaze.