FIREFIGHTERS saved two brides' big days from disaster after a fire broke out above a wedding shop.

Two crews were called to the fire in a first floor flat above Serenity Brides in Osborne Street, Colchester, at around 6.30pm yesterday.

When crews arrived, the flat was 25 per cent on fire and completely full of smoke.

Several neighbouring flats and the shop were also lightly smoke logged.

Crews managed to extinguish the fire quickly and stop it spreading to surrounding properties.

Friends of the family affected have set up a fundraising page to try and help the victims of the fire. 

Donations can be made at www.gofundme.com/jadeshomefund

The wedding dress shop below suffered slight water and smoke damage.

At the request of the shops owners, crews managed to quickly retrieve two wedding dresses which were due to be picked up by brides this week.

The occupants were alerted to the fire thanks to their working smoke alarm. The fire appears to have started in the bedroom by a electrical heater.

The ambulance service attended to treat the two occupants who suffered slight smoke inhalation.

Sales manager Lyndsey Green said the damage could have been worse, and the majority of their stock was kept at the new store in Short Wyre Street.

She said: “There were two dresses which had been bought but they were zipped up in packaging, and luckily, were in the area of the shop which had less smoke.

“The fire brigade were really good and were on the scene very quickly.

“After we opened the shutters there was an awful lot of smoke and we could not get in straight away.

“We told them which dresses we needed to get out and they were able to do it for us, and luckily they were absolutely fine.

“We will have to have an assessment to see how much damage has been done but it certainly could have been worse.”