Man and dogs rescued from fire in flats
A man and two dogs were rescued after two flats caught fire.
The blaze began in a second-floor flat in The Hyde, Basildon, on Thursday morning and began spreading to the apartment above.
Several crews from Essex Fire and Rescue Service attended and an aerial platform was used to extinguish the blaze.
The fire service said a man was initially taken to hospital but later released. The two dogs remained at a vet surgery, but were said to be doing well.
Fire investigation officer, Andre Turner, said both flats had been left badly damaged.
"We've now carried out a full investigation and believe the most likely cause was an electrical device," he added.
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