Crews rescue child locked in car

Firefighters from Harlow rescued Isabella who accidentally managed to lock herself in the car, with the keys still in it. 

Crews were called to Cannons Lane, Bishops Stortford at 5.04pm on Tuesday 5 August. 

Firefighters used tools to get inside the car and rescue Isabella by 5.31pm.

Always keep car keys out of reach of little hands. It only takes a second for them to press a button and get stuck inside.

Wildfire in Wallasea Island

Update Thursday 7 August 1pm 

Our Control Room have been receiving calls from the public about small pockets of smoke coming from the area. Rest assured crews are monitoring the scene and will respond as necessary. 


Update 5pm

Firefighters have extinguished the fire and are dampening down hotspots. 


Firefighters are currently at the scene of a wildfire on Creeksea Ferry Road, Wallasea Island. 

Crews issue advice after kitchen fire

Crews have issued safety advice after an item left on charge caused a kitchen fire.

We were called to Eight Ash Green today (Sunday 3 August) at 1.50pm and two crews from Colchester and one from Wivenhoe attended.

The kitchen was fully alight and smoke had filled the house.

Watch Manager Scott Maclean said: "The occupants had left a battery powered air compressor on charge and unfortunately it ignited and set fire to the kitchen. 

"A family member heard the smoke alarm, even though they were outside, and called 999.

Southend Cooking left on Hob

We’re reminding people not to leave cooking unattended following an incident in Southend this morning.

Firefighters were called to a property in Whittingham Avenue at just before 4am following reports that a smoke alarm was going off.

It was coming from a flat on the first floor of a 10-storey building.

Crews pitched a ladder to get in through a window that was ajar.

They found the flat to be filled with smoke after cooking had been left on the hob.

Kitchen fire Buckhurst Hill

Firefighters are issuing safety advice after a dishwasher caught fire.

Crews were called a house in Buckhurst Hill at just after midnight after the residents noticed the smell of smoke after they went up to bed.

They came downstairs and found their kitchen on fire.

Watch Manager Marc Lemon said: “They did absolutely the right thing by getting out of the house and calling us.

“We put the fire out and found their cat who was hiding in the lounge.”

The cause of the fire is accidental.

Horse rescue

Our crews came to the rescue of a wandering horse who slipped into water yesterday.

Highly trained animal rescue crews, our urban search and rescue team and specialist water officers assisted crews from Bishops Stortford to help the Shire horse out of her predicament after a call from her owner.

The horse was sedated by a vet and with help from the owner using a telehandler to make a path, crews managed to slide the horse out of the water. Once she’d had a check over from the vet, she was hot to trot again and none the worse for her dip. 

Harris Hawk Rescue

Our firefighters don’t get in a flap when it comes to unusual animal rescues.

They flew into action yesterday evening when a Harris Hawk tangled itself on an aerial on top of a house in Harlow and couldn’t get free.

Crews were concerned that the bird of prey’s worried owner would try and scale the roof to rescue the bird which was in distress, so swooped in to help.

Firefighter Harry McWilliam received tips on how to carefully handle the bird from his owner, before he safely reached the hawk using an aerial ladder platform and untangled it.