Firefighters were called to the scene of a large field fire in Ongar this afternoon.

Around four hectares - or 40,000 square metres - of standing corn were alight. Smoke could be seen from some distance away.

Firefighters worked hard to surround the fire and prevent it from spreading further.

Please avoid the area and - while we appreciate it's hot today - keep your windows and doors closed if you live or work nearby.

Update 3pm - Thanks to the incredible work of our crews, this fire is now under control.

Firefighters rescued a dog in Harlow this afternoon from a residential roof.

Control teams were alerted after neighbours spotted the dog - which had climbed out of a window of the property while its owners were out and become stuck on a pitched porch roof before crews arrived.

Firefighters worked to safely lower the animal using ropes and a high rise bag.

Liam Foss, Crew Manager at Harlow, said: "The dog had managed to get on some furniture, jump out of the window and then found himself on the porch.

Firefighters were called to reports of a large fire involving a large amount of hay in White Roding on Saturday evening.

On arrival, crews confirmed that two separate stacks - measuring around 4 metres high and 10 metres squared - were 100% alight.

Firefighters are using a mechanical digger to separate one larger stack of hay to allow them to extinguish it more easily, while also managing a controlled burn of the other stack.

Firefighters were called to reports of a fire near to Fryatt Hospital in Harwich on Saturday night.

Control teams received several calls from members of the public who noticed the smoke.

Crews reported on arrival that the fire, which was burning in the grass area between the hospital premises and a residential road (Grange Road), was spreading quickly.

Crews are working hard to get the fire under control.

Update - 1.30am - The fire is now out.

Firefighters were called to a large field fire in East Mersea on Sunday afternoon.

On arrival, crews reported that the fire, which was affecting several hectares (or thousands of square metres) of standing crops, was spreading quickly.

The dry and windy conditions have caused the fire to spread across East Road and into a separate field - meaning crews are now working to contain the fire on several fronts.

The road will be closed for some time while firefighting continues. If you live or work nearby, please avoid the area.

Firefighters were called to reports of a field fire in Lindsell (near Dunmow) on Sunday afternoon.

Four fire crews are currently working hard to surround the fire and get it under control.

Update 5.30pm - The fire is now out and, thanks to the hard work of our firefighters and the support of a local farmer in creating firebreaks, only hotspots are remaining within the area.

Crews are using beaters to make sure the fire within the field is completely extinguished.

Firefighters were called to the scene of a large field fire in Sible Hedingham area on Sunday evening.

Due to the large amount of smoke, Control teams received several emergency calls to the incident from people who could see the fire from some distance away.

When firefighters arrived, the fire was spreading quickly.

6.45pm - Update - Crews have reported that this fire is affecting roughly 100 acres of corn and stubble.

The incident has been split into sectors, to allow firefighters to surround the fire as quickly as possible.

Firefighters were called to reports of a fire in Great Wakering on Sunday night.

On arrival, crews reported that a fire in a double garage had spread to an adjacent house.

Firefighters worked hard to get the fire under control by 10.30pm. One fire crew remained at the scene to dampen down hotspots.

The garage has been badly destroyed by the fire, while the house itself has suffered minor damage - mainly from the effects of smoke.

The cause of the fire is unknown, but we are not treating it as suspicious.

Firefighters quickly extinguished a grass fire in Norton Lane, High Ongar, this afternoon. 

Crews from Ongar and Chelmsford were called at 2.04pm and the fire was out by 2.40pm. They used hose reel jets and beaters to put out the fire which measured 50 metres by 50 metres.

The cause has been recorded as accidental.

Could you be an on-call firefighter?

Ongar firefighters are on-call firefighters - they all live or work within 5 minutes of the fire station and are paid to protect their community. 

Two acres of woodland and undergrowth in Heybridge have been damaged following a fire this afternoon.

On-call firefighters from Maldon, Tiptree and Witham were called at 4.45pm and used hose reel jets and beaters to put the fire out. It was extinguished by 6.05pm with crews remaining at the scene to make sure it didn’t reignite.

Station Manager Nick Singleton said: “The crews did a really good job to stop this fire from spreading further.”

The cause of the fire has been recorded as deliberate.