Thurrock flat fire leaves occupants homeless

Firefighters were called to reports of a flat fire in Chadwell St Mary, in Thurrock, this morning.

Essex Fire has since confirmed the occupants have been left homeless by the damage caused.

Two people were also treated after being affected by smoke inhalation.

READ MORE >> Seven crews on the scene of a flat fire in south Essex as floor is evacuated

It is believed the fire was caused accidentally after a tumble dryer overheated.

There were seven crews in attendance, with one from Orsett, two from Grays, one from Basildon, one from Corringham, one from Southend, and one from Hawkwell.

A safety cordon was also now in place around the area of the building while firefighters worked hard to ensure the fire did not spread any further.

On arrival to the blaze, crews confirmed a fire was burning in a flat, and immediately evacuated residents on the 13th floor.

The rest of the block of flats were not evacuated, and Essex Fire implemented the building's 'stay put' policy for all other occupants, which encourages those who are not at direct risk of fire or smoke to stay where they are and allow firefighters to tackle the fire quickly and efficiently

By 10:30am, the fire was completely extinguished.

Al Green, incident commander, said: "I would like to thank the residents of this building for being so supportive.

“The people on the same floor as the fire followed our advice and made a safe exit, while everyone else within the building was incredibly respectful of what we asked - which makes a big difference in being able to tackle the fire as quickly as possible.

"I would also like to recognise the brilliant work of our crews.

“High-rise fires are complex and can be really challenging, but the professionalism and efficiency of our firefighters today has ensured that this incident didn't become more serious."

The Red Cross has now been called to support the scene, and the occupants after being left homeless due to the damage the fire caused.