Firefighters are highlighting why it’s so important to have working smoke alarms at home after a couple and their dog safely escaped a flat fire in Southend today.

Crews were called to Lonsdale Road, Southend at 1:08pm and reported a ground floor flat was heavily smoke logged. 

Firefighters worked to extinguish the fire and believe it was caused by an incense stick that caught a nearby suitcase alight. 

Update 5.50pm

The cause of the fire could not be determined. 

Firefighters were called to Lakeside Shopping Centre, Thurrock at 2.52pm after reports of a fire in the roof of a multi-story car park. 

Grays, Corringham and Brentwood were sent to the incident. On arrival, they confirmed it was a fire in the stairwell of the roof. 

Crews extinguished the fire by 3.25pm.

Update Monday 9am 

The fire was started accidentally from hot work from machinery on site.

Firefighters are currently tackling a fire affecting a large pile of rubbish in Burnt Mills Industrial Estate, Basildon. 

It is a large pile of household waste, approximately 10m by 5m high which is on fire. If you are in the nearby area please keep all your windows and doors shut. 

Crews were called to a fire in Wivenhoe last night, when a toaster caught alight set fire to the kitchen cabinets. 

When crews arrived, they confirmed that the kitchen was full of smoke.

Firefighters from Wivenhoe and Colchester worked quickly together to extinguish the fire by 9:26pm.

Watch Manager Alex Hough said: “The crews did a great job to contain the fire and prevent additional damage to the property.

Firefighters are urging people to make sure they have working smoke alarms after a couple's lives were saved by theirs.

Crews were called to a detached two-storey house in Basildon during the early hours of this morning after the homeowners called 999 to report a large fire on the ground floor of their home. Thankfully their smoke alarms had woken them up. 

As crews made their way to the house a neighbour used a ladder to rescue the couple and their dog from an upstairs window. 

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service is reminding residents to keep their hob clear as soon as they have finished cooking, following a fire in Southend-on-Sea last night.

Crews were called to a kitchen fire in Eastern Avenue, just after 10pm.

On arrival firefighters were faced with thick black smoke coming from the property. They reported that the fire was contained to the kitchen but the rest of the property was heavily smoke logged. Firefighters quickly surrounded the fire and extinguished it and then cleared the rest of the house of smoke. 

Crews were called to a pub in Horndon on the Hill this afternoon after reports of a fire in a kitchen. 

On arrival firefighters reported the kitchen fire had quickly spread up the extractor fan and internally through vents, meaning the above floors and roof were also affected. 

Firefighters quickly surrounded the fire to bring it under control. 

At 3.40pm the Incident Commander, Station Manager Russ Freeman, confirmed the fire was under control and crews were working to fully extinguish further hotspots.

Station Manager Freeman said:

Five flats have been left with smoke damage following a fire outside. 

Crews were called to Witchards, Basildon, after reports that a fire was rapidly spreading and smoke was entering a building.

On arrival firefighters reported that three people, including a young child, had been rescued by ladder by a member of the public and four still needed assistance with exiting their homes. 

Firefighters quickly worked to lead the other trapped residents to safety while other firefighters began to tackle the fire outside. 

Crews were called to a first floor flat after reports of a fire in the kitchen. 

On arrival firefighters reported an air fryer had caught alight and there was a small fire in the kitchen. 

Crews quickly extinguished the fire and ventilated the room. 

Watch Manager Jon Allen, Harlow Fire Station, said:

"When the resident realised the air fryer had caught alight he did the right thing by unplugging it and then getting out, staying out and calling 999.