PHOTO: Bonfire embers spread to shed and fences

Firefighters are advising residents to avoid having bonfires during windy weather after embers from a bonfire caught a shed and fence panels alight today.

Crews from Shoeburyness and Southend fire stations were called to Wakering Road at 12:40pm to a well developed fire that had spread to a shed, fence panels and number of plastic containers.

Firefighters requested a second crew from Southend Fire Station to help extinguish the spreading fire.

The area was heavily smoke logged and crews worked to extinguish the fire by 1:20pm.

Watch Manager Ian Lighton from Shoeburyness Fire Station said: “Please avoid having a bonfire while it’s still quite windy. Even a slight breeze is enough to pick up embers and spread them to flammable surfaces.

“If you really must have a bonfire, please set it up well away from anything that could catch alight like sheds, fences, trees and plants.

“Never leave a bonfire burning unattended and be sure to extinguish the embers when you’re done.”

Could you be an on-call firefighter?

Firefighters from Shoeburyness are on-call firefighters, who all live or work within 5 minutes of the fire station and are paid to attend incidents.

If you live or work within 5 minutes of an on-call fire station, you could be an on-call firefighter and be paid to protect your community.

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