A man has died after fire ripped through a two-storey house in the early hours of this morning.
The home, in Saffron Walden, Essex, was "100 per cent alight" when emergency services arrived at 2.30am.
Fire crews worked for several hours to extinguish blaze, and a man, aged in his 50s, was pronounced dead at the scene, Essex Live reports.
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service confirmed the roof of the property had collapsed when firefighters arrived.
Residents living nearby were told to keep their windows and doors closed, while photos taken at the scene show the house as a blackened shell.
The man's death is being treated as unexplained, and a file is being prepared for the coroner.
Essex Police said in a statement: "A man has died following a fire at an address in Saffron Walden.
"Emergency services were called to Blacklands Close at around 2.30am today.
"Firefighters have extinguished the fire and will remain at the scene to make it safe.
"Sadly, a man in his 50s, who was inside the property, died at the scene.
"Fire investigators have not been able to establish the cause of the fire.
"The man’s death is being treated as unexplained and a file is being prepared for the coroner."
Firefighters have been on the scene for much of today trying to extinguish the fire, which is now safely out.
A Essex County Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: "An investigation into the cause of the fire has been carried out and the cause is undetermined.
"It has been recorded as accidental or deliberate, both possibilities."
