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.

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

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