A major broke out at a building in Anerley Road, Westcliff, destroying much of the proptery.
Multiple firefighter crews were called to the blaze in a three-storey building near Hamlet Court Road at 8.20pm. The roof and top floor of the building were completely alight when crews arrived.
Eight fire crews in total were dispatched to deal with this incident, along with multiple paramedic units and ten police car units.
Various road closures were put in place around the Hamlet Court Road area.
Group Manager for Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, Ben Turner, said: “As it was unsafe for firefighters to enter the building, we have used two of our Aerial Ladder Platforms, from Chelmsford and Grays.
“Crews have worked really hard to get the fire under control and stop it from spreading.
“The first floor, which were unoccupied flats, have suffered significant damage because the roof and second (top) floor partially collapsed.
“Although the ground floor did not suffer any fire damage, we are not sure of the extent of the smoke and water damage at this stage.
“We have worked closely with the Ambulance Service, Essex Police, local authority and utilities companies to resolve the incident.”
Eight crews, two Aerial Ladder Platforms and an Incident Command Unit, from Hawkwell, were in attendance at the height of the incident.
A man was treated for the effects of breathing in smoke and left in the care of the Ambulance Service.