A blazing fire burnt down fences, decking and two sheds after a man left burning garden waste unattended in an incinerator.

Firefighters rushed to the blaze in Stonehill Drive, Leigh, at 11.26pm last night (August 4).

A man had been burning garden waste in a small incinerator in his back garden.

“He thought he had let it burn out and went back into his house, but unfortunately it set fire to a fence and quickly spread,” explained fire crew manager David Garratt.

"He was alerted when the electric in the house tripped, due to fire damage to wiring in the shed.

"Crews worked really quickly to overcome access issues and stop the fire spreading to a large conifer next to the house."

Firefighters from Southend and Rayleigh Weir tackled the inferno – where 50 foot of fencing, decking and two sheds were alight – in under an hour and the fire was reported under control by 12.15am.

Essex Fire and Rescue Service has since issued safety advice following the fire.

Mr Garratt said: "If you need to burn waste in your garden, make sure the fire is completely out before you leave it. Do not start bonfires, incinerators or barbecues close to anything that might catch fire.

"If it starts burning out of control, don't try and tackle it yourself - get somewhere safe and call 999."

Bonfire safety advice:

• Set up bonfires well away from houses, garages, sheds, fences, overhead cables, trees and shrubs

• Never leave bonfires burning unattended

• Don't use flammable liquids to light the fire

• Pour water on the embers before leaving