Flat fire

Crews were called to a block of flats after reports of a fire on the ground floor.

On arrival firefighters confirmed the fire was contained to one ground floor flat, which they safely evacuated, and issued a message for all other flats to stay put in their properties. 

Crews confirmed they had extinguished the fire by 2am.

Group Manager Mark Eaglestone said:

"Our crews acted quickly to control the fire while we implemented the building's stay put policy.

"The fire spread was contained to the single flat, although there is smoke logging in communal areas on the ground, first and second floor.

"By following the stay put policy, with residents staying in their flats and keeping their doors and windows closed, residents remained safe while we extinguished the fire. 

"The building also has automatic smoke vents, which work by opening automatically when a fire is detected, and means smoke can escape out of the building rather than building up in a confined space. This assisted our crews in fighting the fire. 

"Firefighters are now ventilating the building and will remain on site until it has completely cooled and is clear of smoke."

The cause of the fire has been recorded as accidental and the origin was an electric fan. 

Do you have working smoke alarms?

We want every home in Essex to have a working smoke alarm on every floor.

If you or someone you know doesn’t have working smoke alarms at home, please get in touch so we can see how best to provide fire safety advice, either through a Home Safety Visit or advice over the phone.

You can get in touch with us at essex-fire.gov.uk/book

Could you be an on-call firefighter?

Some of the firefighters attending this incident are on-call firefighters who all live or work within 5 minutes of an on-call fire station.

If you live or work within 5 minutes of an on-call fire station, you could be an on-call firefighter.

Find out more about the role at essex-fire.gov.uk/on-call