Firefighters rescued a man whose flat had filled with smoke after he fell asleep while cooking.

Crews from Rayleigh Weir and Hawkwell were called to a first floor flat in High Street, Rayleigh today at 1.23pm after a neighbour heard a smoke alarm sounding.

Watch Manager Wayne Davey said: "The occupant had put a couple of pans on the cooker and fallen asleep, causing his flat to fill with smoke.

"Crews managed to rouse him and he let them in, but he was suffering from smoke inhalation.

Firefighters have advised people not to cook while tired after attending a kitchen fire in Basildon.

On arrival, crews reported that there was a fire in the kitchen of a house in Rantree Fold, Basildon and firefighters extinguished it by 9:16pm.

The kitchen has been badly smoke and fire damaged.

Watch Manager Walsh from Basildon Fire Station said: “Please do not cook when you’re tired, it’s easy to fall asleep and a fire can quickly develop.”

Cooking safety

Firefighters helped a 31-year-old horse back to its feet after it suffered a fall in Orsett this morning.

The horse, which weighs around 600 kilograms, was found on its side before crews arrived.

Firefighters worked alongside a local vet to ensure the animal was looked after and treated appropriately before specialist animal rescue equipment was used to lift it back to its feet.

The horse was moving freely again by 1.15pm.

Firefighters were called to the scene of a large fire in Henham on Monday evening.

Crews reported on arrival that six cars, a burger van and around 5% of a nearby building, which measures roughly 10 metres by 20 metres, were alight.

Firefighters worked hard to contain the fire quickly and prevent it spreading further to nearby fences and trees. The fire was extinguished completely by 11.42pm.

Firefighters have issued safety advice after a garden fire was left unattended and spread to a house in Southend on Monday night.

Crews were alerted to the fire by a neighbour and reported on arrival that a bench to the rear of the property, a fence and the back of the house were alight.

Firefighters managed to stop the fire from getting inside the house and extinguished it by 11.14pm.

Firefighters were called to assist at the scene of a road traffic collision involving two vehicles.

Fire crews worked with paramedics to help rescue one casualty trapped in their vehicle.

The casualty was released by 3:30pm and left in the care of the Ambulance Service.

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Saffron Walden firefighters are on-call firefighters who all live or work within 5 minutes of an on-call fire station and are paid to protect their community.

Firefighters were called to reports of a fire on the balcony of a first floor flat after passers by noticed smoke.

A family of four escaped the property safely after being alerted by neighbours, but did not have a working smoke alarm.

The fire was extinguished by 9.41pm.

Dan Evison, Watch Manager at Southend Fire Station, said: "This family were lucky that their neighbours made them aware of the fire on their balcony - without working smoke alarms, the fire could easily have developed much more before they noticed.

Firefighters were called to assist at the scene of a road traffic collision involving a car and a HGV in Basildon this afternooon (Thursday 15 April).

Fire crews worked with paramedics to help release one casualty.

The casualty was released by 5pm and left in the care of the Ambulance Service.

Firefighters were called to a tractor fire in Colchester Road, West Mersea this afternoon.

On arrival, crews reported that a large tractor was 100% alight and worked to extinguish the fire by 4:06pm.

During the incident, approximately 2000 litres of mixed solution containing chemicals to spray crops was spilled onto the floor. Firefighters worked with Fire Service Scientific Advisors and the Environment Agency for advice on cleaning the solution and the scene was left in the care of the farmer who will excavate the land. 

Firefighters were called to a property in Witham after a snake became wedged in an air vent. 

A woman in her 20s had put her adult boa constrictor into a temporary vivarium while she cleaned out its larger main vivarium. 

While it was in there the snake tried to get through an air vent and wedged itself in the hole.

When the on-call crew from Witham Fire Station arrived the snake had also wrapped itself around the lower part of the woman's arm.