ESSEX Fire and Rescue Service has given details of a house blaze inTilbury earlier today (Tuesday, 15 February).

The service says: "Firefighters were called to a property in Tilbury in the early hours of the morning, when a smoke alarm alerted an occupant to a fire outside her front door.

"Crews were called to Calcutta Road at 3:28am, after a woman was woken by her smoke alarm and discovered a fire outside of her home. Our control team stayed on the phone as she waited for crews to arrive, issuing fire survival guidance to keep her and her son as safe as possible.

"On arrival, firefighters confirmed there was a fire at the front of the property which was blocking the entrance, and smoke was entering the flat.

"Crews worked hard to extinguish the fire, and cleared the property of smoke by 4:15am."

An investigation will be carried out to determine the cause of the fire.

Watch Manager at Grays, Kieran Davis, said: "I really want to praise the crews, who acted quickly to prevent damage to the property.

"This is a really great example of how working smoke alarms can save your life. We recommend you have at least one working smoke alarm on every level of your home and that you test them at least once a month."