Fire destroys two homes in Southend

Firefighters were called to a flat in Southend this afternoon after a fire spread into a flat in Lundy Close.

Crews were called to Lundy Close, Southend, at 1:05pm after neighbours heard alarms sounding in an adjacent flat. They then worked quickly to alert the occupant and get him to safety and evacuated nearby properties while our crews made their way to the incident.

On arrival, firefighters confirmed the fire was affecting a first floor flat, which was alight and heavily smoke-logged. They also confirmed that the roof was completely damaged, and the ground floor flat was heavily smoke-logged and suffering from heat damage.

Firefighters worked hard to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading to further properties.

They confirmed the fire was out and the smoke was cleared by 2:55pm.

The cause of the fire is currently unknown and a full investigation will be carried out.

Station Manager Mark Elliott said: “I’d like to thank our wonderful Control Team who have been working tirelessly during challenging conditions to dispatch crews to incidents as needed.

“I’d also like to thank the crews who worked hard today and were able to prevent the fire from spreading to neighbouring properties. Two families have sadly been left homeless as a result of the fire today but, fortunately, nobody was harmed.

“And lastly, I’d like to thank the public for being patient while we extinguished the fire. Use of our Aerial Ladder Platform meant a road was closed for a few hours and we’re really grateful to local residents for bearing with us while we worked.”

Do you have working smoke alarms in your home?

Smoke alarms save lives. They can alert your family as well as your neighbours and passers-by to a fire in your home if you're not home, or are unable to hear it.

If you or someone you know doesn’t have working smoke alarms, please get in touch. Visit essex-fire.gov.uk/book or call 0300 303 0088.