Almost 30 residents were safely evacuated by staff after a fire broke at an Essex care home on Wednesday morning.

The evacuation took place at 9.30am at Ramsey Step Down and Care Centre in Ramsey Road, Harwich.

Owner and manager David Wing told Caring Times: “The staff were absolutely fantastic. It took just under 12 minutes to evacuate all 27 residents. Three of whom were bed bound.”

The residents were taken by ambulance to a local rest centre where they were provided by the care home with hot food from a local restaurant.

They were safely returned to the home between 6pm and 7pm after safety checks had been completed.

“The residents all came back in a very cheery mood,” Wing said. “They treated it as a day trip out with a nice roast dinner. Our staff were upset and stressed and we have been offering counselling support to them.”

Wing said he believed the fire, which destroyed the care home’s kitchen and laundry, had been caused by a worker carrying out roof repairs on the adjoining Grade II listed, Michaelstowe Hall which has been vacant for a number of years.  

The care home owner said meals would be outsourced at the care home until next week when a staff area will be converted into a temporary kitchen. Another room at the care home is being converted into a temporary laundry.

Group manager Danny Partridge of Essex County Fire & Rescue Service said: “This has been a significant incident, and following a multi-agency meeting, I’d like to thank all our partners and agencies who have worked together in the background to establish a safe plan for relocating the residents to appropriate accommodation.”

A spokesperson for Essex County Council said: “We thank our range of partners, including emergency services and care home staff, for their swift action in safely evacuating all residents and ensuring they continue to receive the support they need.

“The welfare of our vulnerable residents is of utmost importance, and we are pleased they have been able to return to the care home following safety inspections.

“This is a good example of a number of different services working without delay to protect those in need.”