Our Control Room received more than 250 calls between 1pm and 8pm today as Storm Henk brought strong winds and heavy rain to Essex.

Among the incidents we attended were:

Crews extinguished a fire affecting outbuildings in South Woodham Ferrers.

We were called to reports of bushes on fire in Leeward Road today at 12.12am and crews from Basildon, Rayleigh Weir and Wickford attended.

When firefighters arrived they found that the fire had spread to two outbuildings; a shed measuring approximately 5 metres by 5 metres and a garage measuring approximately 5 metres by 10 metres.

Crews extinguished the fire by 1.29am and remained at the scene until 3.10am to dampen down and check for hotspots.

Crews have issued safety advice after a smoke alarm alerted a neighbour to a kitchen fire.

We were called to a ground floor flat in Rampart Terrace in Shoeburyness today at 1.22am.

A neighbour had heard a smoke alarm sounding and when she looked through the letterbox she saw smoke in the property.

Two crews from Southend attended.

Temporary Watch Manager Richard Burch said: "We could see smoke in the property so we forced open the door.

We have been working with partner agencies, including Harlow District Council and Cadent, to resolve an incident at Edmunds Tower in Haydens Road, Harlow.

We were called at 4.18pm by a concerned resident and we have been working to make sure the building is safe.

We were able to hand over the building to the local authority shortly before 9pm.

Group Manager Marc Diggory said: "I'd like to thank the community for its assistance and patience."

Firefighters have given safety advice after a tumble dryer caused a fire in a garage. 

Crews from Brentwood and Chelmsford were called to Clavery Way, Hutton at 2.20pm and found a tumble dryer on fire in a heavily smoke logged garage. 

Watch Manager Ben Stapleton said: “Crews worked hard to stop the fire from spreading into the house. Unfortunately there was some fire damage to the roof, crews made it as safe as it can be for the windy weather.

Firefighters were called to reports of a fire in a restaurant by a passerby who heard the smoke alarm sounding.

When firefighters arrived they found the restaurant full of smoke.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus gained access to the building (which was closed at the time of the fire) and found a light fitting had caught alight and caused the whole building to fill with smoke.

Firefighters also checked the neighbouring properties to make sure the smoke hadn't spread.

Firefighters were called to reports of a large plume of smoke in Stambridge at around midday.

Fire crews reported that a number of large buildings was alight.

Crews are urging nearby residents to close their windows and doors as the fire is currently producing a lot of smoke.

*Update 1pm*

The fire involves a number of industrial units which measure a total area of 100m x 50m. Firefighters are fighting the fire and protecting the currently unaffected units.

*Update 2:30pm*

A family in Canvey were alerted to a fire in their home thanks to their working smoke alarms.

The fire started at around midnight last night in a ground floor room of the property. Thankfully the house has working smoke alarms that alerted the sleeping family to the fire. The family were able to get out safely and call the fire service.

Crew Manager Paul Conyard from Southend Fire Station said:

Firefighters are urging everyone living in Essex to extinguish candles every time you need to leave the room after an unattended candle destroyed another house in a serious fire today.

Fire crews were called to Doubleday Drive in Heybridge shortly before 4pm today and found the terraced house full of smoke and fire raging in the living room,

Firefighters extinguished the fire quickly and stopped it spreading to neighbouring homes.

The house has been badly fire and smoke damaged.