FIRE crews were called in to action today after a cigarette sparked a flat fire.

Teams from the Essex County Fire and Rescue Service were called to a flat in Parkeston in the early hours of the morning, after a cigarette caused bedding to catch alight.

Crews from Dovercourt, Clacton and Weeley attended the fire in Tyler Street, Parkeston, at 3.31am.

On arrival, firefighters confirmed the fire was in the bedroom, in a flat, on the first floor of the building and the remainder of the flat was smoke-logged.

Crews used oxygen to successfully revive a cat, who was unconscious due to smoke inhalation.

Firefighters extinguished the fire by 4.19am, and then worked to clear the property of smoke.

Watch Manager, Gary Clarke, said: “Thankfully, in this incident, the smoke alarm sounded and woke the resident, who colled 999.

“Smoke alarms are often the first sign of a fire at home. Without a working smoke alarm, we expect this would have been a very different outcome.”