A RESIDENT has potentially been left homeless after a devastating early morning fire completely destroyed a bungalow in a seaside village.

Firefighters from the Essex County Fire and Rescue Service were called to Humber Avenue, in Jaywick, just before 12.30am on Wednesday.

Upon arrival, the four crews, from Clacton, Weeley, and Brightlingsea, were confronted with a single storey building which was engulfed in flames.

They also quickly established that the occupant of the bungalow had managed to quickly vacate the building before the situation worsened.

By that point, the structure had been so badly damaged by the inferno, the firefighters could not safely enter the property, so instead tackled the blaze from the outside.

Within less than two-hours, the fast-working crews had extinguished the fire, but returned to the scene at both 5am and 9am to ensure it had not reignited.

Clacton and Frinton Gazette:

The cause of the blaze is currently unknown, but an investigation has been launched by the fire service in a bid to find out.

Items being stored in the bungalow’s lift space, however, are said to have posed an additional hazard for the crews and subsequently fuelled the fire.

The fire service’s watch manager, Ian Street, praised his team for ensuring the inferno didn’t impact on any other residents and homeowners living in the area.

"It was a substantial fire and crews worked really hard to stop it spreading to neighbouring properties,” he said.

“This incident has highlighted the importance keeping your loft clear of unnecessary items.

"Thankfully, the occupant did the right thing and got out of the property before we had arrived and stayed out.”