Four people were today recovering from smoke inhalation after a blaze broke out at a factory.

Fire crews from Southend, Shoebury and Rochford were called to EGL Homecare, in Campfield Road, Shoebury, to find the building filled with thick black smoke.

Officers using breathing apparatus spent half-an-hour putting out the flames after arriving at the scene at 5.32pm yesterday.

Crews called in the help of paramedics to treat the four people who had suffered smoke inhalation before making sure the area was safe.

A spokeswoman for the fire service said: "The inside of the factory was filled with smoke when officers arrived and they used one hose reel to extinguish the fire.

"There were four people treated for smoke inhalation at the scene. There was no structural damage."

The fire is not being treated as suspicious.

Published Friday November 8, 2002

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