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Around 50 firefighters were involved last Saturday in fighting a large blaze at a series of industrial units in Basildon, Essex.
Initially, two appliances were sent at around 5.30am to tackle the fire, which broke out at a unit used to manufacture fibre glass, but the severity of the fire led to another two fire engines and two aerial ladder platforms being summoned. Initially, crews wearing breathing apparatus entered the premises to fight the fire, but they were later withdrawn after the discovery of hazardous materials on the site.
Additional complications arose with traffic having to be re-routed around the area, in part due to hoses crossing roadways. Gritters were also requested to deal with ice which formed from run off water.
The fire was brought under control around three hours later, though damping down operations continued for much of the day. Investigators believe the cause of the fire was accidental.