Two people were treated for the effects of smoke inhalation after a motorbike was set on fire in a block of flats in Halstead.
Firefighters were called to the blaze, at Trinity Court, just after midnight on Tuesday.
Thick smoke engulfed the stairwell – making it difficult to use the fire escape.
A small number of ground floor residents made their way outside, and firefighters told remaining residents to follow ‘stay put’ procedures by remaining inside.
Firefighters extinguished the fire by 1.10am.
Incident commander Lee Lucas said: “The fire was caused by a motorcycle which had been left in the ground floor stairwell and set alight. As the tyres began to burn it produced a thick black smoke which made visibility inside the building’s stairwell impossible.
“Residents on the upper floors did the right thing by following our ‘stay put’ advice for high rise buildings.”
Two people were treated for suffered smoke inhalation.
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