A family has been left homeless after a barbecue caught the wind and spread to a bungalow. 

Firefighters were called to the blaze in Turpins Lane in Kirby Cross near Frinton at about 5pm on Sunday. 

On arrival, crews found the roof of a bungalow was on fire. 

Crews believe the fire was caused by embers from a barbecue that caught in the wind and spread to the side of the house. 

The bungalow has been left uninhabitable due to the fire and smoke damage throughout.

Watch manager Gary Clarke from Clacton Fire Station said: “If you’re having a BBQ, bonfire or using a fire pit as the weather warms up, please make sure to properly extinguish any embers before you leave it. You can do this with a bucket of water. 

“It only takes a small ember to start a fire and with the sunny weather we’ve had recently, everything has had a chance to dry out and this can help a fire spread.”