ORSETT Fire station is out of commission today (Friday, 14 July) following a fire in the building last night.

One of the appliances burst into flames and while the incident was dealt with by the skilled teams right on hand, the tender and the station received substantial damage.

A statement from Essex Fire and Rescue said: "No one was injured although the fire engine cab and the fire stations doors were damaged.

"These are being repaired and it is expected that the fire station will be operational again within a few days.

"The crew is now based at Grays Fire Station. Rest assured we are able to respond to incidents as always to keep our community safe.

"An investigation is underway to find about how the fire started, but we believe it to have been accidental."