A firefighter was today recovering from injuries suffered when tackling a flat blaze which caused more than £100,000 damage.

An emergency call was made to Essex Fire and Rescue about 11am yesterday and crews arrived to find flames leaping five feet from upstairs windows.

The fire started in a bedroom of the council house in Aluric Close, Chadwell, and spread quickly. A firefighter working on top of the building was scalded when water turned to steam.

Blaze scene : firefighters in Aluric Close, Chadwell Picture: DAVE HENDERSON

Four engines from Essex and two from London fought the blaze for three- and-a-half hours.

Assistant divisional officer Mark Samuels commended his crews for dealing with the complex fire quickly and deploying firefighters with breathing gear to search the building, found to be unoccupied.

Mr Samuels said: "When we arrived the fire was threatening to spread from property to property through the roof.

"The firefighters showed their professionalism and their knowledge of buildings to notice this immediately and prevent it."

Nevertheless, homes on either side of the blaze were damaged by smoke. Later, firefighters cut away parts of the roof to eliminate hotspots.

Investigators were working to establish the cause.

Published Thursday, January 16, 2003

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