FIRE crews in Maldon yesterday rushed to the aid of a man with burns to his back and legs after a weed burner set a shed alight.

Firefighters from Maldon and South Woodham Ferrers were called to Gloucester Avenue in Maldon at 2:36pm.

Crews reported a man had burns to his back and legs and immediately gave him first aid while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.

The shed fire was extinguished by 3:25pm and the man was left in the care of the ambulance service.

Maldon Fire Station watch manager Martin Cable said: "Crews acted quickly to treat the man’s burns while we waited for our colleagues in the ambulance service.

"I’d like to praise the man’s neighbour who spotted the smoke and acted quickly to rescue the man from the scene and reassure him until we arrived alongside the ambulance service.

"While everything is dry at the moment with the hot weather we’ve been having, we don’t recommend you use anything like a weed burner with a naked flame or have a bonfire.

"It only takes a few embers to start a fire in this dry weather."

Maldon Fire Station and South Woodham Ferrers Fire Station are both recruiting on-call firefighters.

Find out more at join.essex-fire.gov.uk/on-call.