A family were able to escape a fire in their flat after neighbours had made them aware of smoke coming from their balcony. 

Firefighters were called to tackle the blaze in Brunswick Road, Southend, yesterday (Tuesday, April 13) evening and said the family had been fortunate to avoid disaster. 

Crews arrived at the first floor flat around 9.20pm and were able to extinguish the fire, which had started in a balcony area, 20 minutes later. 

Firefighters used special ventilation fans to clear the property of smoke.

Essex Fire Service says the flat has avoided significant damage, beyond the balcony and rear doors to the property.

The cause of this fire is unknown.

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The family living in the flat were unharmed but firefighters say the incident is a reminder of the importance of smoke alarms. 

Dan Evison, watch manager at Southend Fire Station, said: "This family were lucky that their neighbours made them aware of the fire on their balcony - without working smoke alarms, the fire could easily have developed much more before they noticed.

"Smoke alarms give you the earliest possible notice of a fire in your home - which is why we want every home in Essex to have them.

"I'd encourage everyone to get them fitted if you don't already have them: they really can make all the difference in the event of a fire.

"I'd like to thank our crews for their quick response, which prevented this fire spreading any further and made sure no other properties were affected."