AN investigation into the cause of a fire that affected a row of terraced houses near Rookyards in Basildon discovered it started accidentally.

The alarm was raised around 7.20pm today (Sunday, 21 June) and crews from Basildon. Orsett, Rayleigh Weir, Corringham, Wickford, Brentwood and Grays attended.

At the height of the blaze Incident Commander Justin Mackerness said: "The fire is under control and crews are working to extinguish the remaining parts of the terraced row that remain alight.

"We'd like to thank the local community for their patience while we continue to deal with the incident as we head into the night."