UPDATE 5PM (Wednesday 27 March)

An investigation into the cause of the fire was carried out throughout the day. The cause was found to be accidental.

UPDATE: 7.45AM (Wednesday 27 March)

Crews will remain at the scene this morning to continue to dampen down and extinguish hotspots.

Group Manager Dan Partridge said: "We are meeting at the site with the building owner and other partners this morning to plan how we will hand the scene over later today.

Crews have issued safety advice after embers caused a fire at a property in Langdon Hills.

We were called to a fire in Old Church Hill on Saturday at 10.08pm and two crews from Basildon attended.

Firefighters found a fire affecting the porch area of a property.  

Watch Manager Rob Fossett said: "The occupant had a fire during the day and left the embers on the ground to let them cool before putting them in a wheelie bin, next to the property. Unfortunately they had not fully cooled and reignited, setting fire to the porch.

Crews fitted smoke alarms in two homes in Copford after extinguishing chimney fires.

We were called to a semi-detached bungalow in Rectory Road yesterday (Sunday) at 9.18pm.

Firefighters from Colchester extinguished the fire, using chimney rods, and fitted a smoke alarm after finding the property did not have one.

One their way back to the station, at 10.13pm, they spotted a chimney fire at a semi-detached house in London Road.

Firefighters were called to the scene of a fire on the 8th floor of a high rise building in Chichester Road, Southend. 

Five crews have extinguished a fire in a communal area on the 8th floor. Firefighters are currently working to investigate the cause of the fire.

Crews had to force their way into an empty house last night after the resident left cooking on the hob and went out. 

Firefighters were called to the end of terrace property at 8.18pm after a neighbour heard the smoke alarm going off, and after realising they could see smoke, called 999.

When firefighters arrived they reported the house was completely smoke logged and there were pans on the hob that had caught alight.

Crews worked quickly to dispose of the pans, disconnect the gas supply and ventilate the whole property.