WITH extraordinary timing, the front page of last week’s Gazette reminded us of the awful fire that took place in Jaywick exactly one year ago.

Well, another serious fire has happened again, and this time, the consequences could have been even worse.

A huge fire in the centre of Clacton was started during the night by someone allegedly setting fire to cardboard lying outside a vacant property.

Those who raised the alarm did so at approximately 12.20am, prompted almost certainly by smoke alarms going off in nearby houses.

Our full compliments go to Clacton fire service, who were on the scene within nine minutes of the call. Initially, just four brave firefighters tackled what had already become a raging blaze. Thereafter, fire crews from all over northern Essex were dispatched.

Viewing the wreckage two days later, I can scarcely believe the warping of the steel girders. As I spoke to Dan Partridge, the area commander, he explained that the fire’s temperature probably reached as high as 1,000 degrees.

These incidents and fires are happening too often, and there are lessons we must take from them.

The most vital lesson, which I was pushing last year in the wake of what happened in Jaywick, is that the fire service will fit a smoke alarm in your house for free.

Yes, that’s right – for free. They will not charge you a penny.

So, if you haven’t yet made the effort to get a smoke alarm, or you have elderly relatives or friends who haven’t got around to it, make sure you do. Just a couple of deep breaths of smoke can render a person almost immediately unconscious. It isn’t the fire that kills — it’s the smoke.

Smoke detectors are absolutely vital, and I can assure you, the fire service is only too happy to help. Can we all please heed this vital, important lesson.