The home of two people has been left "uninhabitable" after a fire broke out in the early hours.

The pair were forced to flee the house in Great Knightleys, Basildon after they were alerted by a smoke alarm at around 3.05am.

Two crews of Basildon firefighters were at the scene within minutes.

On arrival at the property the crews found that much of the home's living and dining room areas were alight and the home was completely smoke logged.

Both occupants had safely exited the property after smoke alarms on both floors of the home had actuated.

The firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze at 3.15am.

They used positive pressure ventilation fans to clear the smoke as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, due to the extent of the smoke created by the fire, the house has been left uninhabitable.

Gareth Critch, watch manager at Basildon Fire Station, said: "This incident proves once again how important it is to have a working smoke alarm in your home. This fire could have been much more serious for these two people had they not been awoken by the alarms - but they both got out unharmed, as quickly as possible.

"We believe this fire was caused by unattended candles and was therefore avoidable.

"If you're going to burn candles inside your home, please ensure you put them out completely at night - they can easily fall over and ignite nearby objects if left unattended."