Fire affecting three properties in East Hanningfield

Firefighters were called to a terraced house fire in East Hanningfield, near Chelmsford, this afternoon (Friday 8 August).

When the first crews arrived, they found the fire well developed and spreading rapidly to two adjoining homes.

Incident Commander Ben Stapleton said:

“Our crews have worked extremely hard to bring the fire under control. It was already well developed when we arrived, so we acted quickly to stop it spreading further along the terrace.

Sadly, three homes have been destroyed, but we can confirm no one was injured.

We’ve had support from a number of partner agencies, including the gas and electric companies, who isolated supplies to allow us to work safely. Residents affected by the fire are being supported by the British Red Cross, and temporary housing is being arranged by the local authority.

At this stage, the cause of the fire is unknown. A full fire investigation will be carried out to determine how it started.”