Crews stop fire in terraced house spreading
Crews stopped a fire in a terraced house in Harwich from spreading to the adjoining properties.
We were called to Alexandra Street today (18 May) at 1.46am after a member of the public saw smoke coming from a mid-terrace house.
Crews from Dovercourt, Manningtree and Colchester extinguished the fire by 3.18am and used a fan to clear the smoke.
Station Manager Quentin Sage: "Crews did a brilliant job of stopping the fire spreading to the houses either side. If it wasn't for their swift actions, the fire would have reached the loft and affected two more properties.
"No-one was at the property when the fire started, however smoke alarms were sounding when crews entered so occupants would have been alerted had they been at home."
The ground floor was badly fire damaged and the rest of the property suffered extensive smoke and heat damage.
Despite an extensive fire investigation today, it has not been possible to establish the cause.
Could you be an on-call firefighter?
Some of the firefighters that attended this incident are on-call firefighters. They live or work within 5 minutes of the fire station and are paid to protect their community.
If you live or work within 5 minutes of an on-call fire station, you could be an on-call firefighter too.
Find out more about the role and how to apply here.
Book a free home fire safety visit
We offer free Home Safety Visits to all Essex residents.
If you do not have working smoke alarms or would like to find out how to live more safely, including information about sensory alarms, fire retardant bedding and carbon monoxide safety, book one of our free visits.
If you or someone you know would benefit from a Home Safety Visit, call 0300 303 0088 or click here to find out more.