Firefighters have highlighted the importance of having working smoke alarms in your home after a family of five were alerted to a fire in their bedroom in Wickford.

On arrival crews confirmed that a fire was burning in a third storey bedroom.

Watch Manager Adam Barber said: "Thanks to the working smoke alarms in this home, everyone was alerted as early as possible to the fire. Not only did that mean they could get out, stay out and call the Fire Service out, but it meant we could be there quickly to get the fire under control.

Firefighters were called to the scene of a lorry fire on the A13 at Aveley.

*Please avoid the area if you can and if you are driving nearby, please keep your windows shut as there is a lot of smoke coming from the scene.*

Six crews are working to extinguish a fire within a 40ft container and expect to remain on scene for several hours.

One lane of the A13 Northbound is closed while we deal with this incident.

Update 2:45pm

Firefighters rescued May, an Old English Sheepdog, earlier today after she became stuck in the mud in Heybridge.

Crews from Maldon, Chelmsford and our Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team were called to Heybridge at 3:30pm.

On arrival, crews reported that a dog was stuck in the mud after having a swim in the River Chelmer.

Two people had attempted to rescue her but were unable to reach her and called for help.

May had managed to get herself onto an island and crews worked to rescue her.

Firefighters were called to an outbuilding fire in Colchester earlier today that had spread to another outbuilding and a house.

Crews were called to Bakers Lane, Colchester at 11:24am to an outbuilding fire.

On arrival, crews reported that an outbuilding - measuring 2 metres by 5 metres - was on fire and had spread to a second outbuilding. It had also started to spread to the solar panels on a house.

It’s not just fires we attend, over the weekend we were called to rescue a horse who was stuck in the River Chelmer at Nounsley.

Firefighters were called to the River Chelmer at Nounsley at 8:21pm on Sunday to reports of a horse stuck in the water.

Crews worked alongside a vet to rescue the horse by 11:52pm.

He was safely reunited with his herd.

Firefighters are giving electrical fire safety advice after an outbuilding fire in the early hours of this morning.

Crews were called to Fir Trees, Lambourne at 1:04am.

On arrival, crews reported that an outbuilding was on fire and was starting to spread to a house.

Firefighters worked to prevent the fire spreading to the house and extinguished the fire by 1:49am.

The outbuilding was destroyed and the exterior of the house was damaged.

Crews believe the fire was caused by an electrical fault in an extension lead used outside.

Firefighters were called to a fire in a restaurant in Elmstead Market early this morning (Monday 26 September).

Fire crews reported that the first floor of the two storey building was alight and smoke logged. Firefighters managed to extinguish the fire by 9am.

An investigation will be carried out to find the cause of the fire.

Crews have issued safety advice following a chimney fire in Sible Hedingham.

Our Control team were called to Yeldham Road yesterday at 4.15pm and sent a crew from Coggeshall and an Aerial Ladder Platform, from Chelmsford.

Firefighters used chimney rods, thermal imaging cameras and a hose to fully extinguish the fire by 8.20pm.

They returned to the property at 11.15pm to check the fire was completely out.

Crews have issued safety advice after an electric blanket caused a bedroom fire.

We were called to a two-storey house in Bull Lane, Rayleigh on Saturday (1 October) at 4.19pm.

Crews from Hawkwell and Leigh attended and found a fire in a first floor bedroom.

Firefighters, wearing Breathing Apparatus and using a hose and fan, fully extinguished the fire by 4.43pm.

A man, who had tried to put the fire out himself, was suffering from smoke inhalation. He had been helped out of the house by a member of the public before crews arrived. 

Crews tackled a fire in an unoccupied social club in Harlow.

Our Control team initially sent two crews from Harlow to reports of a fire in a two-storey building in Park Lane on Saturday at 10.58pm.

Crews found the roof and first floor of the building, measuring 50 metres by 20 metres, completely alight and they were joined by crews from Epping, Loughton, Hoddesdon and Hertford. An Aerial Ladder Platform, from Chelmsford, and Incident Command Unit, from Witham, were also sent to the scene.