Firefighters from Maldon rushed to the scene of a kitchen fire at a retirement community on the High Street yesterday evening (Thursday, 18 November).

The crew was called to Baker Mews, on Maldon High Street, at 7.19pm after being alerted by residents to a smoke alarm beeping.

The fire started in a kitchen in a home on the development, after a cardboard box was left close to the hob and caught fire while a resident was cooking.

A woman had called the fire service after her mother said a smoke alarm was sounding in the building.

The firefighters were let into the flat by a carer and soon discovered the alarm had sounded because of a small kitchen fire in a different flat.

The fire was out by the time the firefighters entered the flat and no one was injured.

A spokesperson for Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said: "The smoke entered the hallway when the gentleman cooking had opened his door to dispose of the cardboard box.

"This sounded the alarm throughout the building.

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"The fire was very small and was out on arrival.

"Crews helped to clear the building of smoke and nobody was harmed."