Firefighters were called to a flat fire in Wellesley Road, Colchester at 3am. 

On arrival, crews reported a second floor flat was heavily smoke logged and worked to extinguish a fire in the kitchen. 

Crews believe the fire was caused by an e-bike battery on charge in the kitchen. 

Watch Manager Doc Holliday from Colchester Fire Station said: “This incident highlights the importance of charging e-bikes and e-scooters safely.

Firefighters were called to beach huts on fire near Second Avenue, Frinton at 9pm last night. 

On arrival, crews reported two beach huts were on fire and the fire was starting to spread to two more. 

Crews worked to contain the fire and prevent the fire spreading to further beach huts. The fire was extinguished by 10pm. 

Two beach huts were destroyed by fire and two others were affected by fire damage.

The cause of the fire was accidental. 

Crews have issued water safety advice after rescuing a girl who got stuck in mud in Thurrock.

We were called to Thames Road, close to Thurrock Yacht club, on Tuesday (29 April) at 5.49pm after the teenage girl got trapped up to her waist about 10 metres from the shore.

Crews from Grays (two) and Orsett attended and bought the girl to safety by 6.29pm.

Crews extinguished a thatch roof fire in Rayne.

We were called to Long Lane on Saturday (26 April) at 10.54pm where the thatched roof of a two-storey building measuring 15 metres by 10 metres was 50% alight.

At the height of the incident, nine crews - from Braintree, Chelmsford (two), Great Dunmow, Halstead, Maldon, Thaxted, Tiptree and Wethersfield - were in attendance, along with an Incident Command Unit from Witham and a Water Bowser, to supply large volumes of water, from Halstead.

Crews have issued safety advice after a barbecue caused a fire in Chelmsford. 

We were called to Epping Close at 6.32pm and two crews from Chelmsford attended.

A fire had started in the garden of a two-storey house, but thankfully the occupants were alerted by a smoke alarm.

Watch Manager Mark Curtis said: "The barbecue was unattended and fell over, setting fire to some old bedding.

"It scorched the back windows and burnt the waste pipes, but thankfully the occupants were alerted and crews were on the scene quickly to extinguish it."