Westcliff residents ‘watched huge fire in terror’

Firefighters were called to Hamlet Court Road, between London Road, and Anerley Road, at 8:20pm yesterday evening.

'Huge' - Flames coming from three-storey building (Image: Essex Fire)

On arrival, the roof and top floor was completely alight.

READ MORE >> PHOTOS: Crews remained at three-storey building fire overnight in Westcliff

Eight crews, two Aerial Ladder Platforms and an Incident Command Unit, attended the incident.

Terror - Residents watch firefighters tackle the blaze (Image: Sana Butt)

Sana Butt, a 32-year-old mum that lives in a nearby street, said: “It was so scary.

“The flames were huge, rising up to at least a foot above the building, and there was so much smoke too.

“It was black smoke which literally rose and swallowed the sky.

'Scary' - Thick black smoke filled the sky (Image: Sana Butt)

“I first saw a fire engine go past my house at around half eight. I didn’t think much of it but then I heard people shouting.

“I looked out and saw the street was packed with people staring at something, so I went out to explore and that is when I saw the building was on fire.

“Anerley Road filled up so quickly with people who were all watching in terror.

“At about half nine, our power was then cut off.

“It was so scary, but I have so much admiration for the fire team. I feel for the businesses that have been damaged through this.

Fire - Crews at the scene in Westcliff (Image: Essex Fire)

“I just hope no one has been hurt.”

Another witness and nearby resident, Ben Savill, added: “I looked out of my window at around 8pm and saw smoke coming from the back of the property.

“A crowd had then started to gather. Within five minutes the smoke had got thicker and darker.

“The crowd that had gathered was huge, and it took a while for the police to clear them.”

A man was treated for the effects of breathing in smoke and left in the care of the East of England Ambulance Service.

Road closures remained in place overnight and residents were advised to avoid the area - as well as keeping their doors and windows closed due to smoke.

Ben Turner, group manager, said: “As it was unsafe for firefighters to enter the building, we have used two of our Aerial Ladder Platforms, from Chelmsford and Grays.

“Crews have worked really hard to get the fire under control and stop it from spreading.

“The first floor, which were unoccupied flats, have suffered significant damage because the roof and second (top) floor partially collapsed.

“Although the ground floor did not suffer any fire damage, we are not sure of the extent of the smoke and water damage at this stage.

“We have worked closely with the Ambulance Service, Essex Police, local authority and utilities companies to resolve the incident.”