Firefighters were called to a fire in a flat after a plastic bag of ashes from a fireplace were placed in a kitchen.

Crews rushed to Hadleigh Road, Westcliff today at 11:52am

Two fire crews were in attendance, including one from Leigh and another from Shoebury.

A passerby called 999 when they walked past the property and heard the smoke alarm sounding.

When crews arrived at the property they reported the flat was completely full of smoke. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the property and managed to find the fire in the kitchen. They quickly extinguished the fire.

Firefighters discovered that the fire has started after a plastic bag of ashes from the fireplace has been placed int he kitchen near the bin.

The whole ground floor flat has been smoke damaged, and a small area of the kitchen has suffered fire damage.

Watch Manager Dean Riley, Leigh Fire Station, said: "We want to urge everyone to take extra care when disposing of ashes from fireplaces. The best thing to do is to put them in a metal container and leave somewhere safe where they can not be knocked over. It can take days for ashes to completely cool, so if you have to leave them unattended you should pour some water on them to be extra sure they are cool and safe".