FIREFIGHTERS in Essex had to rescue an elderly man through his bedroom window after a large blaze broke out in the roof of his bungalow

FIREFIGHTERS in Essex had to rescue an elderly man through his bedroom window after a large blaze broke out in the roof of his bungalow.

The blaze started at just before midnight on Wednesday and lasted into the early hours of this morning.

Two fire crews from Clacton, one from Weeley and an aerial ladder platform unit from Colchester attended the incident, which took place in St Osyth Road West in Little Clacton.

A joint police and fire service investigation is being carried out to establish the cause of the fire.

Sub officer Reg O'Kane said the roof of the bungalow had been completely destroyed by the flames.

He said: “It started somewhere in the loft and the roof was well alight when we arrived.

“The resident was still in the house at that point and we moved him out of the bedroom window. Tiles were falling down around us but we got well into the operation straight away.”

He said the flames were quickly under control but large parts of the roof had to be removed in order to get to the flames.

During the operation crews used breathing apparatus, two jets and a hose reel and had the flames out by about 1am.

Crews remained on site until about 3.30am to make the building safe and the elderly man was treated at the scene by ambulance paramedics.

A spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service said a passing ambulance, returning from a job in Colchester, had spotted the blaze and called for the assistance of the fire service, but crews had already been dispatched just minutes before.

The spokesman said: “The ambulance stayed on the scene and crew members checked over the man for any injuries.

“He did not require treatment and was left in the care of relatives.”