House fire: three men rescued

Crews rescued three men and extinguished a house fire in Grays.

Firefighters were called to Seabrooke Rise today at 4.25am after neighbours saw smoke coming from a property.

A man, who was suffering from smoke inhalation, was trying to get out of the first floor maisonette when crews arrived, but two men were still trapped in a bedroom. 

Control Officers were on the phone to one of the men throughout; giving him life-saving advice, reassuring him that crews were on the way and helping to direct firefighters to their location. 

Watch Manager Dave Hogan said: "It was a well-established fire and crews did brilliantly to quickly find the men and bring them to safety.

"They also did a fantastic job in getting the fire under control and preventing any damage to other properties."

The men, who were conscious and breathing but suffering from smoke inhalation, were left in the care of the Ambulance Service.

The property did not have working smoke alarms.

Watch Manager Hogan said: "This incident shows the importance of having working smoke alarms in your home because they can act as an early warning.

"It also shows the importance of closing your internal doors when you go to bed. It will help to stop fire and smoke spreading in the event of a fire."

An investigation will take place to establish the cause of the fire.

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 in.

We recommend you have at least one working smoke alarm on every level of your home and that you test them at least once a month.

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