Clacton Fire: Seaside Town Shaken as Blaze Forces Residents Out of Homes
A massive Clacton fire tore through a building in the early hours of Monday, forcing families to flee their homes as emergency crews fought to bring the flames under control.
The blaze erupted on West Avenue just after midnight, at around 12.35am. Within minutes, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service confirmed the building was “fully alight”. Crews raced in. Sirens. Smoke. Streets sealed off.
Neighbours were quickly moved to safety. Doors knocked. Lights on. Families were ushered out as firefighters battled the inferno. The local council stepped in, arranging a refuge centre at a nearby Premier Inn.
Firefighters are currently dealing with a building on fire on West Avenue, Clacton.
If you live in the area, please keep all your windows and doors shut as there is a lot of smoke coming from the incident.
Crews are working to extinguish a building which is fully alight. pic.twitter.com/IagO60h1zC
— Essex Fire Service (@ECFRS) August 18, 2025
With thick plumes of smoke drifting across the area, people living nearby were told to keep their windows and doors firmly shut. Three roads were also cordoned off while the fire raged.
By dawn, the flames were out. But the damage was clear, the charred remains of the building and a van left in ruins.
Incident Commander Nick Singleton praised the overnight effort: crews will “remain at the scene to monitor and dampen down any hotspots”.
He added: “I’d like to say a big thank you to the crews who worked extremely hard to stop the fire from spreading to nearby buildings.
As well as a thank you to our emergency services partners for their help, the Premier Inn for providing a refuge centre and local residents for being patient with us while we deal with the incident.”
The cause of the blaze remains unknown. Fire chiefs say investigators will move in once the site is safe enough to examine.
For now, Clacton wakes to the aftermath, scorched streets, shocked locals, and a seaside town shaken by the night’s events.
