The blaze broke out at a home shortly after midnight on Tuesday, July 29, when a dishwasher caught fire.
Firefighters from Loughton and Brentwood attended the scene, along with crews from Hainault and Chingford.
Watch manager Marc Lemon said the occupants “did absolutely the right thing by getting out of the house and calling us”.
He added: “We put the fire out and found their cat who was hiding in the lounge.”
The fire was determined to be accidental.
Firefighters are reminding residents not to run kitchen appliances overnight to reduce the risk of fires in the home.
They also encourage residents to complete an online home safety check and offer free home fire safety visits, where they can fit smoke alarms if needed.
