Swift action by local firefighters prevented extensive damage to a Pets at Home store in Essex last week.
A fire, triggered by a piece of electrical equipment which had been left charging overnight, started in rear of the store on the Colne View Retail Park in Colchester, according to a report by local newspaper the Daily Gazette.
The alarm was first raised just after 11pm on Wednesday when the smoke alarms went off, and three fire crews battled the blaze until after midnight. About 20% of the retail unit was in flames at one point and the room where the fire started suffered significant damage, with the adjoining Vets4Pets practice the most badly affected.
A spokeswoman for Pets at Home confirmed that no pets or staff colleagues were injured in the fire, and that the pet store remains open and is trading as normal.
The Vets4Pets veterinary practice remains closed to the public, although the unit is able to accept phone calls to organise and dispense prescriptions for clients, the company reported.
