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

On arrival, on-call firefighters from Newport Fire Station and Saffron Walden Fire Station reported that a woman was trapped in her car and worked to release her by 10:14am.

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

Could you be an on-call firefighter?

Firefighters who attended this incident are on-call firefighters who live or work within 5 minutes of an on-call fire station and are paid to protect their community.

Crews extinguished a fire in a farm outbuilding in Thaxted.

Firefighters were called to Bardfield Road today at 4pm and found part of large industrial building alight.

Watch Manager Darren Hockley said: "Crews worked really hard to quickly get the fire under control and stop it from spreading.

"The building was filled with construction materials, mainly wood, which made the incident even more challenging.

"Crews extinguished the fire then had to turn over and remove materials to check for hot spots and damp down."

Crews extinguished a kitchen fire which started when shopping bags were set alight by a toaster.

Firefighters from Maldon and Chelmsford were called to a ground floor flat in Cherry Garden Road today at 1.33pm.

They found a fire in the kitchen and the rest of the flat filled with smoke.

Watch Manager Martin Cable said: "The occupant had come home and put his shopping bags on his kitchen worktop. He accidently turned on his toaster with one of the bags and the next thing he knew, his kitchen was on fire.

Do you have working smoke alarms in your home?

A family in South Woodham Ferrers had a lucky escape from a house fire today after their smoke alarms woke them up.

Firefighters from South Woodham Ferrers and Wickford were called to a house fire in Anchor Reach, South Woodham Ferrers just after 7:30am.

On arrival, crews reported that a conservatory was heavily smoke logged and extinguished the fire by 8am.

Firefighters believe the fire was caused by batteries that had overheated while on charge.

Crews have issued safety advice after tackling a house fire in Harlow today (Tuesday 30 March).

Firefighters from Harlow, Ongar and Epping attended The Briars at 4.31pm and found a fire in a first floor bedroom.

No one was inside the mid-terrace house when the fire started but thankfully a neighbour saw the smoke and called 999.

Station Manager Richie Green said: "Crews were faced with a well-developed fire and battled really well to contain it to the bedroom.

Firefighters were called by a concerned resident after they spotted a man stuck in a reed bed in a lake in Fingrighhoe.

The man had become stuck after he wandered out to the reed bed, but when the sun set he could not see a safe route to get back.

Firefighters specially trained in water rescues waded out to rescue the man. The man was checked over by the Ambulance Service but was luckily not injured.

Firefighters rescued a man and woman after road traffic collision involving two vehicles.

Crews from Colchester and Wivenhoe were called by Essex Police to Mersea Road, Colchester last night (Tuesday 30 March) at 8.18pm.

A man was trapped in one vehicle and a woman was trapped in the other.

Firefighters used specialist lifting and cutting equipment to release the casualties by 9.33pm and left them in the care of the Ambulance Service. 

Could you be an on-call firefighter?

Firefighters are highlighting the importance of having working smoke alarms after a tumble dryer fire in Shoeburyness.

A resident was in her garden when she noticed smoke coming from the conservatory which later set her smoke alarms off.

She acted quickly to shut the conservatory door, get out of the house and call the Fire Service out.

When crews arrived, the conservatory was smoke logged and firefighters extinguished the fire by 12:33pm.

Crews have issued safety advice after an unattended tea light caused a house fire.

Firefighters were called to a property in Raphael Drive, Chelmsford yesterday (Thursday 1 April) at 6.53pm.

The two-storey house was unoccupied but thankfully a neighbour spotted the fire and called 999.

Watch Manager Gavin Ellis said: "The lounge was 50% alight and the rest of the house had filled with smoke when we arrived, but crews did a really good job of limiting the damage.

Firefighters rescued a women from a fast flowing river in Loughton yesterday (Monday 8 March).

Crew Manager Glenn Jackson, Loughton Fire Station, said:

"The woman was walking her dog along the river when the dog jumped in the water. The woman got in the water to try and reach her dog but got into trouble and couldn't reach the dog or get herself out again.