Firefighters were called to reports of a fire in a building in Dovercourt this morning.

Crews reported on arrival that the building, which measures around 7 metres by 5 metres, was around 50% alight.

Firefighters managed to extinguish the fire by 8.20am.

The building is used as an internal play area, which has been completely destroyed. Due to the quick response of firefighters, no other buildings or property have been affected.

A fire investigation to establish the cause of the fire found it was caused accidentally or deliberately, both possibilities.

Group Manager Mark Eaglestone said:

“Our Control team have been inundated with calls related to heavy thunderstorms and flash flooding in North West Essex this afternoon.

Firefighters were called to a vehicle fire on the A12 at Boreham on the southbound carriageway at 1:37pm.

On arrival, crews reported that a mobile crane, approximately 35 tonnes, had an engine fire and worked to extinguish the fire by 2:23pm.

Crews currently remain at the scene to clear a large amount of fluid that has leaked from the crane.

Firefighters were called to a road traffic collision on Colchester Road in Great Bentley this afternoon.

On arrival, crews reported that three vehicles had collided and a driver in a Light Goods Vehicle (LGV) was trapped in their vehicle. 

Firefighters worked to rescue the person by 4:40pm. 

Firefighters were called to a farm building alight in Great Holland this lunchtime (Tuesday 27 July).

When fire crews arrived they reported that the building, which measured approximately 30m x 40m, was completely on fire.

Firefighters were called by the Ambulance Service to reports of an unknown chemical in a residential flat in Witham.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the flat to collect a sample of the chemical so it could be identified by the Service's DIM (detection, identification and monitoring) equipment.

Firefighters were called to assist at the scene of a road traffic collision involving two vehicles which left one person trapped in their vehicle.

Fire crews worked with paramedics to safely rescued the casualty from the vehicle by 2:15pm. The casualty was left in the care of the Ambulance Service.

Firefighters have issued safety advice after a woman was rescued following a kitchen fire.

Crews from Witham and Chelmsford were called to Greenwell Road, Witham today at 12.38am.

A woman had left chips cooking on a tray on the hob while she was upstairs and it caught fire. 

Watch Manager Andy Mott said: "She tried to put it out with a dry tea towel but that caught fire too and it spread to the extractor hood and cooker.

Firefighters carried out an unusual rescue when they freed a cat from a lorry's engine.

We were called by the RSPCA to Spring Gardens Road, Wakes Colne today at 9.48am after a cat was found trapped in a vehicle.

One crew from Colchester attended and freed the cat by 10.34am.

Crew Manager Noel Bush said: “The lorry driver heard a cat meowing and found it inside the bonnet.

"He had been parked overnight in Wormingford and it must have climbed up and got trapped in the windscreen wiper mechanism.

Firefighters were called to a road traffic collision on Sutton Road in Rochford this morning where a single vehicle had left the roadway and left one person trapped in the vehicle.

Fire crews worked with paramedics to safely rescued the casualty from their vehicle.

The casualty was rescued by 8:30am and left in the care of the Ambulance Service.