A woman has tragically died in a house fire in the early hours of this morning after flames tore through her home.
Police were alerted to the blaze shortly after 2.15am today and emergency services scrambled to the scene in Mountdale Gardens, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.
The ground floor of a mid-terrace house was on fire and emergency personnel had to evacuate neighbours as firefighters desperately fought to stop the fire spreading.
An investigation into the blaze, which was extinguished by 4am, to try and figure out what caused it is ongoing- but police are not treating her death as suspicious.
A spokesman for Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said: "Firefighters were called to a house fire in Mountdale Gardens, Leigh during the early hours of this morning.
"On arrival, crews reported that there was a fire in the ground floor of a mid-terraced house.
"After evacuating neighbours from either side of the property, firefighters worked to stop the fire from spreading to neighbouring properties.
"The fire was extinguished by 4am. An investigation will be held to determine the cause of the fire. Sadly, a woman died at the scene."
An Essex Police spokesman said: "We were called to a fire at a house in Mountdale Gardens, Leigh-on-Sea shortly after 2.15am today (Wednesday 29 March).
"Sadly, a woman found inside had died.
"Essex County Fire and Rescue Service will carry out an investigation into the cause of the fire but we are not currently treating the woman’s death as suspicious."