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 on 29 April.

The home's occupants had got out and had rescued their Labrador before emergency services arrived, the BBC understands.

A spokesman for the fire service said it remained on site over the afternoon to check for hotspots, and an investigation was due to be carried out to establish the cause.

The fire service advised the independent Felsted School to temporarily clear some of its buildings due to the location of the property, which neighbours the prep school site.

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.

Correction 6 May: This article originally suggested firefighters rescued the dog; this was based on information supplied to the BBC by Essex County Fire & Rescue Service. We have since been made aware the family rescued the dog and have amended the article accordingly.

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