Firefighters have praised residents for acting quickly to escape their house and call the Fire Service during a kitchen fire.

Two crews from Colchester were called to a kitchen fire in Blackberry Road, Stanway at 12:23pm.

On arrival, crews reported that there was a small fire in a kitchen and worked to extinguish it with dry powder by 12:51pm.

The fire started when a tray of food under the grill caught alight.

Firefighters have given safety advice about electrical goods and chargers after a remote control car battery exploded at a house in Marks Tey earlier today.

Crews from Colchester and Tiptree fire stations were called to a house fire in Coggeshall Road, Marks Tey after a battery in a remote control car overheated and exploded while charging in the kitchen.

The occupant had been in the room keeping an eye on the charger and when it had finished charging, he went to remove the battery when it exploded and caught alight.

Firefighters were called to a fire in Leigh-On-Sea this morning when a passer-by noticed flames in the window of a building on London Road.

On arrival, crews confirmed that an electrical fault had caused a fish tank to catch fire and the room, measuring 5m x 6m, was full of smoke.

Firefighters managed to alert the residents living in the flats above the property - four adults and one child - before helping them to safety. One woman suffered from smoke inhalation and was left in the car of the Ambulance Service.

Crews confirmed the fire was out by 10:40am.

Firefighters worked with Essex Police and Cadent to evacuate around 40 homes in Wickford following a gas leak.

Crews were called to Jacks Close in Wickford at 7:38pm after residents could smell a strong smell of gas from a gas box outside one of the houses.

Firefighters from Wickford Fire Station evacuated residents from around 40 homes while a 200 metre cordon was put in place.

Crews worked to make the scene safe by 8:20pm and left the scene in the care of Cadent.

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Firefighters rescued a woman who was trapped in her vehicle following a road traffic collision in Colchester this evening.

Two crews from Colchester were called to Mersea Road, Colchester at 7:15pm after two vehicles had collided.

A woman was trapped in her car and firefighters worked to rescue her by 8:39pm.

The woman was left in the care of the Ambulance Service.

Firefighters have given advice to have chimneys swept at least once a year after a chimney fire in Chelmsford last night.

A crew from Chelmsford was called to Souther Cross Road in Good Easter after residents reported a chimney fire in their home.

On arrival, crews reported that the living room was heavily smoke logged and used a stirrup pump and chimney rods to extinguish the fire by 9:41pm.

Firefighters were called to a roof fire in Leigh-on-Sea earlier today.

Crews were called to Nelson Drive in Leigh-on-Sea after a roof caught fire while work was being carried out on it.

Firefighters worked to remove roof tiles and felt to extinguish the fire by 2:21pm.

Crews gave first aid to a man at the scene who suffered smoke inhalation.

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Hawkwell’s firefighters are on-call firefighters who all live or work within 5 minutes of an on-call fire station.

Firefighters rescued a woman who was trapped in her car following a road traffic collision in Basildon earlier today.

Crews were called to Timberlog Lane in Basildon where a woman was trapped in her car following a two vehicle road traffic collision.

Crews worked to free the woman by 3:19pm and she was left in the care of the Ambulance Service.

Firefighters rescued a woman following a road traffic collision in Harlow.

Two crews were called to Southern Way today at 5.20am and found a woman trapped after two cars were in collision.

Firefighters rescued her, gave her first aid and left her in the care of the Ambulance Service at 6.03am.

Firefighters have issued safety advice after a shed fire in Chelmsford.

Crews were called to reports of a fire in a garden in Galleywood Road today at 10.04am.

They found a shed, measuring 8 metres by 10 metres, completely alight at the end of the 200ft long garden.

Temporary Watch Manager Mark Curtis said: "The occupant had been clearing the garden and burning waste in an incinerator.