Dog rescued and school evacuated after house fire

A dog has been rescued from a house fire which also caused part of a nearby school to be evacuated due to smoke.

Seven crews from Essex County Fire and Rescue Service were called to Braintree Road in Felsted, near Great Dunmow, at 10:35 BST.

Firefighters rescued a Labrador and advised the independent Felsted School to temporarily clear some of its buildings. The home's occupants were already outside when emergency services arrived.

The fire service said it would remain on site over the afternoon to check for hotspots, with an investigation due to be carried out to establish the cause.

In a statement, Felsted School said: "All pupils and adults were safely evacuated from the prep school buildings in line with our fire and evacuation procedures and are safe and accounted for."

The spokesperson said the aftermath of the fire was being monitored closely due to "weather conditions".

Parents and other members of the Felsted community were being kept updated, they added.

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