Halstead crew tackled blaze which left building destroyed

The crew attended the scene at Wix Road, Bradfield, where the roof of a thatched cottage was alight.

Following a fire investigation, it is believed the fire was an accident.

When the fire services arrived on Friday evening, around 50 per cent of the cottage's roof, which measures roughly 5 metres by 10 metres, was on fire.

Firefighters remained at the scene throughout the weekend, with one crew still at the scene on Sunday morning.

After arriving at the scene on Friday night, the incident commander called for the support of an aerial ladder platform to allow firefighters to spray water onto the fire from a height.

An aerial ladder was called to help firefighters tackle the blaze. Picture: Essex County Fire and Rescue Service

A water bower - a special appliance which carries a large amount of water - was also called in from Halstead to help due to the remote location of the incident.

Incident Commander Mark Earwicker said: "Firefighters have worked incredibly hard to get this fire surrounded and under control. Good progress is continuing to be made.

"Crews are stripping the thatched material away from the roof to make the fire easier to extinguish. Around 60 per cent of the roof has been removed so far, but the process does take some time. We expect firefighting to continue throughout tonight and into tomorrow morning.

"I'd like to thank the local community for their patience and support, as well as Essex Police for their assistance in making the area safe."

On Saturday morning, four fire engines remained at the scene.

The fire had been extinguished and crews monitored the thatched material for remaining hotspots and to ensure the area was safe.

By the evening two crews were at the scene where they continued to extinguish remaining hotspots.

At 7:30 on Sunday, one crew remained at the scene to monitor the site. Firefighters continued to eliminate hotspots which remained within the structure.