Firefighters are highlighting the importance of working smoke alarms after a man was rescued by his neighbour in Benfleet who heard smoke alarms going off. 

Crews were called to High Road, Benfleet yesterday afternoon and reported that a house was heavily smoke logged. 

An elderly man had been rescued by his neighbour before we arrived after acting quickly when hearing smoke alarms going off. 

Update Sunday 21 January 2.30pm 

Firefighters and site staff have now extinguished the fire. An investigation into the cause of the fire found it started accidentally by a lithium ion battery put into a skip. 

A total of 52 crews attended the incident over a period of three days. 

Crews were called to a road traffic collision on the A414 between London Road and Heybridge Approach in Maldon at 3:07pm this afternoon.

On arrival, crews reported two vehicles had collided and a man was trapped in a vehicle. 

Crews worked to remove the roof from the vehicle to rescue the man and left him in the care of the Ambulance Service.

Essex Police later published the following information:

We were called to reports of a multi-vehicle collision on the A414 in Maldon at around 2.40pm today (Thursday 18 January).

Firefighters are urging people to make sure they have working smoke alarms after one potentially saved a woman’s life. 

Refuse collectors were outside a terraced property in Grange Road, Dovercourt, today at 6.42am when they heard a smoke alarm going off inside and called 999.

Shortly before crews arrived, a woman escaped from a ground floor window.

Firefighters found a well-developed fire in the lounge and the whole property was heavily smoke logged. 

Firefighters from Brentwood, Basildon and Rayleigh were called to an incident on Little Warley Hall Lane, West Hordon this afternoon. 

When crews arrived, they reported a fire in an industrial unit measuring 15 metres by 15 metres. Firefighters wearing Breathing Apparatus entered the building to extinguish the fire.

Station Manager, Jeremy Tuckwell said: “Firefighters worked hard to bring the fire under control and stop it spreading to other units. Crews are now dampening down the area and monitoring for any hotspots.” 

A number of Brentwood flats have been left without power following a fire in an electrical cupboard. 

Crews were called to Sawyers Hall Lane, Brentwood, this morning after reports of smoke filling a communal hallway in a three-story block of flats. 

On arrival firefighters reported the fire was in a ground-floor cupboard that housed electrics. 

Firefighters evacuated the ground floor of the building and asked the first and second floor residents to stay put, as per the building's stay put policy. 

Firefighters are highlighting the importance of working smoke alarms after a house fire in Colchester last night.

Crews were called to Magdalen Street, Colchester at 10:45pm after the resident woke up to the smell of smoke and her smoke alarms going off. 

The resident was able to escape the house with her two children. 

On arrival, crews entered the property and extinguished a fire in a storage cupboard.

Crews also rescued a cat and a dog. Firefighters gave the dog oxygen therapy and it was left in the care of a vet.

A family had a lucky escape after a fire started in their home early this morning. 

The resident had got up early to go to work and noticed water dripping from the downstairs ceiling. On further investigation she realised the upstairs was beginning to fill with smoke and there was a fire in an airing cupboard on the landing. 

After calling 999 firefighters were initially delayed in attending the incident due to inconsiderate parking.

Watch Manager Stephen Allen, Harlow Fire Station, said: