Our crews worked quickly to stop a fire in the open from spreading in Maypole Road, Heybridge, last night.

Residents were advised to keep their windows and doors closed and avoid the area as there was a lot of smoke coming from the one hectare of woodland, bushes and hedgerows which were alight.

Station Manager Howard Midwood said: “Crews did a fantastic job and had the fire surrounded very quickly.

Stand up paddle boarders are being urged to check the local conditions and ensure they know what to do if they run into problems following an incident in Mistley this morning.

Four of our fire and rescue crews and our colleagues from the Coastguard were called to help two paddle boarders who thought they had got stuck in the mud near The Walls. 

With support and advice from the Coastguard they managed to get themselves to the slipway without having to be rescued.

Our technical rescue team put their tree felling expertise to good use on Saturday when they were called to remove a large oak tree which had fallen over.

It was blocking part of a busy junction on Bromley Road, Colchester, and our team from Urban Search and Rescue unit used their specialist training and chainsaws to remove the rotten branches that had fallen into the road, making the area safe for drivers and pedestrians.

Firefighters are urging people to ensure fire pit embers are fully cooled before disposing of them following a fire in Chadwell Road, Grays, this afternoon.

Crews from Grays were called at 3.31pm after a fire started in a bin in the garden. It spread to the fence panels, garden furniture and decking. 

The fire was put out at 3.46pm but firefighters remained on scene for a short time after to ensure that a garden gas cylinder was safe.

Crews are on scene at a fire in an industrial building in Croft Way, Witham. We were called at 11.01am. It’s in a two-storey building with the fire on the first floor.

The fire has affected 10 per cent of the 50 metre by 25 metre building and it’s 60 per cent smoke logged.

Everybody is out of the building and neighbouring businesses and buildings have also been evacuated as a precaution.

Crews were called to Caspian Way, Thurrock, this morning when a smoke alarm alerted a neighbour to a fire in a ground floor flat.

On arrival, firefighters confirmed there was a fire in the kitchen, caused by cooking which had been left unattended. The flat and surrounding hallways were heavily smoke-logged.

Crews worked to extinguish the fire by 10:15am, and then cleared the building of smoke.

Crews were called to Coppins Road in Clacton-on-Sea this afternoon, when a bonfire spread out of control.

On arrival, firefighters confirmed that there a bonfire had spread to a neighbouring garden. A shed, greenhouse and outbuilding were alight.

Crews worked hard to extinguish the fire by 12:31pm.

Unfortunately, the shed has been completely destroyed as a result of the fire. The greenhouse and outbuilding have also been damaged.

Firefighters are giving candle fire safety advice after a candle caused a garden fire in Waltham Abbey earlier today.

On arrival, crews reported that a garden fire was beginning to affect the rear of a house.

Firefighters from Loughton and our colleagues in Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service worked to extinguish the fire by 12:28pm.

Crews believe the fire was caused by a candle burning in the garden.

Firefighters are advising residents to make sure incense sticks are stubbed out after embers caught rubbish alight in Broomfield earlier today.

Crews were called to a garden fire in Broomfield and on arrival reported that the fire was beginning to affect the rear of a house.

Firefighters worked to extinguish the fire by 1:19pm and believe it was caused by an incense stick that had caught cardboard in the garden alight.

A number of fence panels were damaged and the rear of the house suffered smoke damage.

Firefighters were called to reports of a fire in Corringham on Saturday evening.

On arrival, crews confirmed that an initial shed fire had affected three properties after spreading along a garden fence and through the roof space.

Firefighters worked incredibly hard to get the fire under control as quickly as possible.

One man suffered from smoke inhalation.

Unfortunately, one home has been destroyed, while the adjacent properties have also been affected by smoke damage.

We believe this fire was caused accidentally.