Firefighters helped a 21-year-old horse onto her feet yesterday after she fell in her barn.

Beauty, a shire horse weighing approximately one tonne, had fallen in her barn and was wedged against a wall unable to stand.

When firefighters from Burnham arrived to help, Beauty was tired and shaking. A vet was on scene and had given her some pain relief while a plan was put in place to get her back on her feet.

The Animal Rescue Unit at Chelmsford Fire Station was at another incident but were able to pack up from the scene as quickly as they could to rush to Beauty’s aid.

Crews were called to Glebe Lane in Abberton at 10:52am, when a horse rider became trapped underneath her horse.

On arrival, crews confirmed that a horse had collapsed and a woman was trapped underneath.

Firefighters worked in collaboration with The Ambulance Service and Police to lift the horse and free the casualty, and the woman was left in the care of The Ambulance Service by 12:07pm.

Firefighters have issued safety advice after a tumble dryer ignited in a home in Rochford.

Crews were called after two occupants of the home were alerted to the fire by a smoke alarm.

Fortunately, the fire hadn't developed significantly by the time the alarm sounded - allowing them to get out of the property safely and crews to extinguish the fire.

The fire was out by 10.30pm. The property itself suffered minor damage, but this could easily have been a more significant incident.

Firefighters rescued two people from the scene of a road traffic collision earlier this evening, when a car left the M11 between J9 and J10, Northbound.

Crews were called to a road traffic collision which happened at around 5:01pm today.

On arrival, firefighters reported that there were two people trapped in a car which had flipped and was stuck in a ditch at the side of the road.

Crews used specialist equipment to release both of the people, and they were left in the care of the Ambulance Service by 5:51pm.

Firefighters were called to Chelmsford at 3:17pm, when a fire started in a chimney at a property in Meon Close.

On arrival, crews reported that there was a fire within the chimney itself.

Firefighters used a stirrup pump, chimney rods and water to extinguish the fire, and confirmed it was out by 3:47pm.

Fortunately, the fire was contained to the chimney and there was no further damage to the rest of the property.

Update 5:30pm

Our Fire Investigation Team, Essex Police and London Fire Brigae have now left the scene of the incident. Essex Community Safety have taken over.

The Police have issued the following statement appealing for witnesses:

We are appealing for information or witnesses to an incident in Southend.

At around 2.30am today (Sunday 16 January) we received a report of a fire at Wimpy restaurant, Marine Parade.

We attended and found the property alight and no one inside the property.

Crews were called to Courtney Road, Chadwell St Mary at 3:25am after reports of bushes on fire.

On arrival, firefighters confirmed that the fire was bigger than first thought - affecting three sheds, a series of fence panels, some rubbish and a 20 metre high conifer, tree which was 100% alight.

Crews from Orsett and Grays worked hard to extinguish the fire by 4:19am.

The garden where the fire is believed to have started is completely fire damaged, and a  car which was parked nearby, was also damaged by heat generated from the fire.

Firefighters were called to a block of flats on Coleman Street, Southend at 1:02pm when a neighbour heard a smoke alarm sounding.

On arrival, crews gained access to the affected flat which was situated on the eleventh floor. They confirmed that there was a fire in the kitchen and the property was heavily smoke-logged.

The building’s ‘stay in put policy’ was followed, so no other flats were evacuated.

Crews worked hard to extinguish the fire quickly and prevent damage to neighbouring properties.

Firefighters confirmed the fire was out by 1:30pm.

Crews were called to a fire in Colchester last night after reports of smoke emerging from the back of a building in Colne View Retail Park.

Firefighters were called to a fire in a commercial building at 11:08pm, when the smoke alarm sounded and the key-holder discovered evidence of a fire.

On arrival, crews confirmed that the rear of the building was 20% alight and the building was 100% smoke-logged.

Firefighters worked quickly to extinguish the fire and cleared the building of smoke by 12:15am.

Firefighters were called to York Road in North Weald Bassett this afternoon after a tumble dryer caused a fire.

On arrival, crews reported that the ground floor of a house was 100% smoke logged and smoke was filling the rest of the property.

Firefighters wearing Breathing Apparatus entered the house and extinguished a tumble dryer fire by 2:47pm.

A man was given oxygen therapy by firefighters at the scene after suffering smoke inhalation.

The house has been left uninhabitable after an electrical fault in the tumble dryer.