MORE than 40 firefighters battled a blaze at a health club on Thursday.
Gym-goers and staff fled Bannatyne's Health Club, in Howard Road, Chafford Hundred, after a fire swept through the club's sauna at 3.20pm.
Nine crews from across south Essex raced to the scene and around 20 firefighters - all in breathing apparatus - went inside the heavily smoke-logged building to fight the flames.
Jim Jones, Essex's assistant divisional officer, said: "It was large building and the fire started in a sauna, which was pretty much in the centre of the building.
"We needed a lot of firefighters in breathing apparatus to help get the hoses around corners and up stairs."
It took firefighters an hour-and-a-half to get the blaze under control.
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