Fire crews fought a blaze at a cottage in Wethersfield for nearly two hours this afternoon (Thursday May 9).
Firefighters from Braintree, Halstead and Clacton wearing breathing apparatus used two hose reels and one main jet to bring the inferno under control.
The incident was reported at 10:42am, as the cottage, measuring 30m x 10m, was 100 per cent alight.
Three walls and the roof collapsed and there was an unsafe chimney that was in danger of collapsing.
Steady progress was made as crews continued to battle the blaze, and by 12:37pm firefighters reported the fire had ben extinguished.
Electricity to the site had to be isolated to prevent further damage and no casualties were reported.
