The fire broke out at a terraced property on Virgil Road in Witham on Thursday, August 6, at 4.12pm. Crews from Witham and Braintree found smoke coming from a first-floor bedroom and praised the occupants for following emergency "get out, stay out and call 999" advice. The fire started from an electric fan (Image: Essex County Fire and Rescue)Crew manager Darrel Drake said: "The occupants did exactly the right thing after noticing the fire. "They were also able to close the bedroom door, which stopped the fire from spreading." The damage caused to the property (Image: Essex County Fire and Rescue)Firefighters rescued five four-week-old kittens from the property, giving them oxygen using special animal masks.