Firefighters battled to put out a flat on fire in Rainham last Saturday (August 4).
The four bedroom property on Mungo Park Road caught fire at around 3.10pm.
A spokesman for the fire brigade said that the blaze was caused by a resident leaving a tea candle burning while leaving the property and going to the shops.
He added that about 40 per cent of the flat was damaged as a result.
Crews from Hornchurch and Wennington stations spent around 15 minutes putting out the blaze.
No one was injured.
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