A BUNGALOW has been destroyed in a fire as the family escapes thanks to working smoke alarms.

Firefighters were called to reports of a fire in a bungalow in Langdon Hills, near Basildon, in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Crews confirmed on arrival at around 3:58am that the bungalow, in High Road, was around 25 per cent alight.

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They managed to get the fire under control by around 5am.

As the property had working smoke alarms, everyone inside at the time got out safely and no-one was harmed.

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But sadly, the bungalow was destroyed by heat and smoke damage.

A spokesman for Essex Fire said: “That is exactly why we want every property in Essex to have at least one working smoking alarm on every level.

“They really can make a life-saving difference, by alerting you and giving you the time, you need to escape to safety in the event of a fire.

“If you haven't or someone you know hasn't got working smoke alarms, call our team on 0300 303 0088 - we can fit them for free.

“We believe the fire was caused accidentally.”