Firefighters have issued safety advice after a woman was rescued following a kitchen fire.

Crews from Witham and Chelmsford were called to Greenwell Road, Witham today at 12.38am.

A woman had left chips cooking on a tray on the hob while she was upstairs and it caught fire. 

Watch Manager Andy Mott said: "She tried to put it out with a dry tea towel but that caught fire too and it spread to the extractor hood and cooker.

Firefighters carried out an unusual rescue when they freed a cat from a lorry's engine.

We were called by the RSPCA to Spring Gardens Road, Wakes Colne today at 9.48am after a cat was found trapped in a vehicle.

One crew from Colchester attended and freed the cat by 10.34am.

Crew Manager Noel Bush said: “The lorry driver heard a cat meowing and found it inside the bonnet.

"He had been parked overnight in Wormingford and it must have climbed up and got trapped in the windscreen wiper mechanism.

Firefighters were called to a road traffic collision on Sutton Road in Rochford this morning where a single vehicle had left the roadway and left one person trapped in the vehicle.

Fire crews worked with paramedics to safely rescued the casualty from their vehicle.

The casualty was rescued by 8:30am and left in the care of the Ambulance Service.

Firefighters were called to Head Street, Colchester this morning after reports that concrete was falling from the roof of a building.

Fire crews used their aerial ladder platform (ALP) to reach the roof and found that there was damage to a concrete plinth.

The surrounding area was cordoned off as a precaution and fire crews worked to ensure the scene was safe.

Crews have extinguished a fire in a barn containing 600 tonnes of hay.

Firefighters were called to Chignal Road, Chignal Smealey this evening at 8.08pm.

Two crews from Chelmsford attended along with Billericay's Off Road Vehicle, due to the remote location.

Crews tackled the fire and were assisted by the farm's digger, tractors and trailers which helped to move the burning hay away from the barn.

UPDATE 12.25PM

Essex Police has confirmed that a woman has sadly died following a road traffic collision in Boreham this morning.

A dark BMW 3 Series car was reported to have been in collision with a construction digger.

A 29-year old woman, believed to have been a passenger in the car, was pronounced dead at the scene.

A man and a woman, believed to be the driver of the car and a second passenger, have been taken to hospital with serious injuries.

A 23-year-old man has been arrested.

UPDATE SUNDAY 5.45PM

An investigation has concluded the fire was accidental, however the extent of the damage means the exact cause cannot be identified.

The living area and bedroom were destroyed by fire and the roof collapsed, but crews managed to stop the fire spreading to adjoining properties.

The fire was initially reported by a member of the public who saw smoke. There was no sign of a smoke alarm in the flat. 

Firefighters assisted paramedics at the scene of a road traffic collision in Basildon.

Crews from Basildon and Rayleigh Weir were called to Broadmayne today at 4.06pm and found a woman trapped in an overturned car.

They stabilised the vehicle and helped paramedics to treat the casualty before using specialist cutting equipment to free her.

She was left in the care of the Ambulance Service at 4.43pm.

A family has been left temporarily homeless after a loft fire in Thorpe Bay.

Firefighters from Southend and Shoeburyness attended a house in Thorpe Hall Avenue yesterday at 7.45pm.

Crews extinguished a fire in the loft space by 8.25pm. They removed materials from the loft, used a fan to clear the smoke and used a thermal imaging camera to check for hotspots.

Crew Manager Richard Burch said: "The bathroom lights kept on tripping and when one of the occupants checked the loft he noticed smoke.

Firefighters were called by police to assist at the scene of a road traffic collision on the M11 between Harlow and Stansted today at 2.48am.

Crews from Harlow, Loughton, Old Harlow and Stansted attended found a man trapped in a car which was on its roof. The car had left the northbound carriageway and was the other side of temporary concrete barriers.

They used specialist equipment to lift the car and release the man by 3.18am. He was left in the care of the Ambulance Service.

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