Firefighters battle bungalow blaze in Jaywick

Four crews, from Clacton, Frinton, Brightlingsea, and Weeley, were called to Midway, in Jaywick, shortly after 3.30pm.

On arrival, the quartet of teams discovered a shed fire which had spread to a bungalow and was also affecting two bungalows positioned either side of it.

Eyewitnesses and neighbours, many of whom lined the streets during the incident, also reported seeing billowing smoke. 

Officers from Essex Police also attended the scene, and cordoned off the street in a bid to keep residents at a safe distance.

Firefighters worked to extinguish the fire in sections, before isolating the area monitoring hotspots.

An investigation into what caused the blaze, which was reported 25 times to the Essex Fire Service control room, was carried out on Friday.

Brad Thompson, from Jaywick, lives near to where the inferno broke-out, having moved to the area nearly two years ago.

As soon as he became aware of the blaze, Mr Thompson, who lives with his partner and their son, immediately rushed to the scene.

When he arrived in Midway, he spotted a fire raging in between two bungalows and another was on fire. 

The heroic father then leapt into action, helping two occupants and their dogs vacate the home.

"I saw a fire in between two homes, and there was also a home which was on fire," he said.

"So, I banged on the door and then helped to get a man out. 

"There was smoke everywhere and the heat was hot, but I went back in four times until I could not anymore

"We then realised there was also a woman inside, so I had to kick a door down to get her and her three dogs out.

"I think there might have been another dog still in there, but we couldn't go back in because the fire was getting worse.

"I didn't even think about what I was doing, it was just a case of getting them out."

Last month at least two other bungalows in Jaywick also went up in flames.