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."

Firefighters were called to a ground floor flat fire on Rayleigh Road, Southend last night (Wednesday 23 April). 

When crews arrived, they reported the flat on the ground floor flat was full of smoke. The fire had spread from the ground floor to the first floor.

Two people were rescued, one of which was treated for smoke inhalation. 

Firefighters from Billericay, Brentwood, Basildon, Wickford, and Corringham were called to a garage fire on Monday 21 April near Hunters Chase, Brentwood.

When crews arrived they found a fire which has started in the garage and had spread to three cars, a summer house, a shed and the fence. 

Firefighters are urging smokers to discard of smoking materials properly after a discarded cigarette caused a fire in a sheltered accommodation this morning. 

Crews from Southend were initially called to an automatic fire alarm near Maple Square, Southend. 

When firefighters entered the property they discovered a fire in one of the flats and rescued one person. 

The resident was smoking and the cigarette had fallen down the side of their armchair. 

Firefighters are highlighting the importance of having smoke alarms after we were called to a kitchen fire by neighbours who heard smoke alarms going off. 

Crews were called to a kitchen fire in Lexden Road, Colchester at 2.28pm today. 

The neighbours heard smoke alarms going off and called 999 when they could see black smoke in the kitchen windows. 

When firefighters arrived they found a fire in the kitchen. The resident has accidentally switched the hob on and items left on top had caught alight. 

Crews have issued safety advice after a candle caused a bedroom fire and left a family temporarily homeless. 

Firefighters were called to reports of a fire in a terraced property in Longmead Avenue, Chelmsford. 

Crews found a fire which had started in the bedroom after an unattended candle set fire to material surrounding it and spread quickly to the rest of the bedroom. 

The family were alerted by a smoke alarm and escaped unharmed.

Crews responded to a two-vehicle collision on Thorrington Road, Great Bentley, this morning, where one vehicle had left the road and landed in a ditch.

Firefighters worked to safely stabilise the vehicle and used specialist Holmatro cutting equipment to remove the driver’s door for access. The casualty, who was experiencing breathing difficulties, was left in the care of the ambulance service at 11.20am.

Crews responded to reports of a fire at a sailing club building.

On arrival, firefighters found an industrial unit alight, with the fire affecting both the first floor and roof space. It had also spread to the roof of a neighbouring residential property.

By 1.15pm, the Incident Commander confirmed that firefighters had contained the fire and were working to fully extinguish it and prevent any further spread. By 2.15pm, crews remained on scene damping down hotspots both internally and externally.