A family had to evacuate their home in the early hours of the morning after a fire broke out in their kitchen.
Essex County Fire & Rescue Service was called to a house in Woodside, Southminster, in the early hours.
The downstairs was heavily smoke-logged when crews turned up and a fire was found in the kitchen, the service said.
"Firefighters believe the fire was caused by an electrical fault in a fridge freezer," a spokesperson added.
Three crews attended the scene after the incident was reported at 02:47 BST.
Watch manager Jon Vincent, of Burnham Fire Station, said crews worked quickly to stop the fire spreading.
"This incident highlights the importance of working smoke alarms," he added.
"They alerted this family to a fire and they immediately evacuated the property with their children and called the fire service."
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