Fire in commercial unit

Firefighters were called to reports of a fire at a commercial premises in Basildon in the early hours of Friday morning.

On arrival, crews confirmed that the property, which is two storeys and approximately 30 metres by 40 metres, was alight. One of the floors was completely smoke logged.

Firefighters requested the support of an Aerial Ladder Platform - which allowed them to monitor the incident from above - to help them to contain the fire more quickly.

The fire was extinguished by 4am.

Howard Midwood, Watch Manager at Basildon Fire Station, said: "Firefighters did a brilliant job this morning to control this fire so quickly and prevent it becoming a more significant incident.

"I'd like to thank our crews for their hard work and professionalism, as well as Essex Police for their support at the scene. At this time, we aren't certain as to what caused this fire to start - but a full investigation will take place in daylight hours once the area has fully cooled."

Update:

An investigation into the cause of the fire found that it was caused accidentally due to an electrical fault.