Barking dogs help owners escape Takeley house fire

The house has been left uninhabitable after the blaze, which began at 02:45 BST

Barking dogs alerted their owners to a fire that destroyed a house in the middle of the night.

Crews from five stations were called to the detached house in Dunmow Road, Takeley, Essex, at about 02:45 BST.

A neighbour who helped rescue horses from the property's stable said she was woken by an explosion and "looked out the window to see a sea of orange".

Station manager Terry Maher said the fire started in an outbuilding before spreading to the roof of the house.

Station manager Terry Maher said the owners were alerted to the fire by their Chihuahuas barking in the early hours

The neighbour said: "It was about 02:45 BST and my first thought was a plane had come down - I was living here when the Korean plane came down in 1999 at nearby Stansted Airport - and then realised it was a house and my partner and I ran out to see if our neighbours were awake and to ring the fire service."

She found the couple in the garden with their two Chihuahuas.

Three neighbours then helped the police lead three horses from the property's stables.

One of them said: "It was absolutely terrifying - the stables had filled with smoke, the horses were terrified and we had to lead them through blowing smoke and blowing embers.

"They were really good in the circumstances, but they were obviously traumatised by what was going on as there were blue lights everywhere, there was the fire and it was dark.

"You're on autopilot then afterwards the shock hits you, but you can't leave a horse to die of smoke inhalation."

Firefighters from Stansted, Newport, Harlow, Stansted Airport and Bishop's Stortford helped tackle the blaze

The neighbours, none of whom wished to be named, said the fire was still smouldering and "the smoke is still horrendous" and they have not had power since 06:00 BST.

They said they were relieved no one was harmed in the blaze at the property, which was rebuilt after a previous house fire in 2007.

Mr Maher said the firefighters "worked incredibly hard" with a limited water supply.

The house has been left uninhabitable and an investigation will be carried out to discover the cause of the blaze.

Dunmow Road remains closed and a diversion is in place.

Two neighbours and a police officer led three terrified horses from a smoke-filled stables, led by a third neighbour lighting the way with torches