A fire officer has highlighted the importance of smoke alarms in homes and outbuildings after a roof fire in Bardfield yesterday (Monday, July 19).

Fire crews from Braintree, Wethersfield and Witham were called to a blaze in an outbuilding at 9.48am.

Dunmow Broadcast: A hole in the roof of an outbuilding in Bardfield after a fireA hole in the roof of an outbuilding in Bardfield after a fire (Image: Essex County Fire and Rescue Service)

Due to low water pressure, fire crews had to shuttle water to the outbuilding.

The fire was extinguished by 11.22am.

Darren Hockley, Watch Manager at Wethersfield Fire Station, said: "Crews worked quickly in hot conditions to bring this fire under control.

ā€œIā€™d like to highlight the importance of having working smoke alarms.

"The residents had smoke alarms in this outbuilding which did go off.

"They had already spotted the smoke before the alarms went off and were able to get out of the building safely.

"Had they not have spotted the smoke themselves, the alarms would have alerted them quickly."

The blaze was caused by an electrical fault.