Updated: Huge blaze in Langdon Hills

2:22pm Thursday 3rd January 2013 in News

Firefighters tackle blaze at Triangle in Langdon Hills Firefighters tackle blaze at Triangle in Langdon Hills

FIVE businesses went up in flames after a huge blaze broke out in a row of shops.

The fire at the Triangle Centre, in High Road, Langdon Hills, is believed to have started because of a technical fault in the roof of chinese take-away, Hong Kong House.

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO FROM THE SCENE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCnl9826OyM

Firefighters from Basildon, Rayleigh Weir and Orsett were called to the scene at around 1.50pm today and found the flames had spread along the roof to newsagents McColl’s, the Elizabeth Louise Hair and Beauty Salon, The Chip Shop and a computer company that rented out a sub-unit at the centre.

Explosions could be heard coming from the businesses, which were all destroyed in the blaze.

David Strelitz from Langdon Hills, was on his way home from London when he noticed thick black smoke covering Basildon.

He said: “As I came over the top of Langdon Hills I thought there was a really big bonfire somewhere because of all the smoke, and it was really strong smelling. I was going planning to go into the post office at McColl’s but as soon as I started to turn into the Triangle I could see that this was certainly not a garden fire.

“I used to go into McColl’s a lot but I expect I won’t be for a long time now. There were always nice and friendly people and it’s such a shame when local businesses and employees are affected like this.”

High Road was closed off between Valence Way and Delmores while firefighters battled the flames from all angles.

Assistant divisional officer Mark Earwicker, in charge of the operation, warned local residents to keep their windows and doors shut to prevent the thick smoke entering their homes.

He said: "When crews arrived they were faced with a well developed fire in the roof of the building, which quickly spread across the centre which houses three units.

"Crews have worked extremely hard and have done an excellent job in getting on top of this fire.

"The fire involved a number canisters and a quantity of alcohol which caused a few small explosions within the building, nothing which caused us any real problems.

"The roof has now collapsed into the building and has covered the fire creating pockets of fire in the building which are proving hard for crews to get at.

"We will be here for many hours yet to come turning over and damping down."

Firefighters were expected to remain at the scene into the night.

Basildon Council sent their own officers to The Triangle to provide support to residents.

Their corporate property team and building surveryors were also on hand to offer help and advice to the shop tenants.

On Friday morning, in the aftermath of the blaze, fire crews returned to the site to damp down any hotspots of the fire.

Fire and explosion at Langdon Hills shops

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Comments(17)

leslog says...
3:09pm Thu 3 Jan 13

live locally on crown wood the sky is full of black smoke wife went to the post office at m,colls she said the whole lot of shops there effected

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0ddness says...
3:22pm Thu 3 Jan 13

Just after three now, still clouds billowing everywhere... Smoke was blowing down to The Knares at 2pm. The road was closed, and another fire crew from Rayleigh was in attendance. LOTS of police and dog units running around the nearby housing estate. As we came past, you could see the flames in the air. Looking across now from Westley Heights, still lots of dark smoke and by the sound of it, the police helicopter is up...

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DaveRobbo82 says...
3:36pm Thu 3 Jan 13

the video ive just seen looks bad, hope everyone is safe

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Mark.Templeton says...
4:14pm Thu 3 Jan 13

What video?

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0ddness says...
4:14pm Thu 3 Jan 13

16:15 and still fighting it... There is almost nothing left of any of the shops, and the roads remain closed around it.

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Miss_Independent says...
4:35pm Thu 3 Jan 13

So terrible - my thoughts are with the owners of all the shops.

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Mat Broomfield says...
4:43pm Thu 3 Jan 13

Jeez, thrird time these shops have burnt down, plus the community centre 50 yards away. No pun intended, but this is something of a fire hotspot. Perhaps someone should look at the construction of these buildings? Perhaps making food cooking buildings with all timber framed roofs is not a great idea? At least, let's have fire-retardant coatings. Each time these buildings have gone up, they've gone like tinderboxes. Sorry for the people who have lost their businesses, but this is terrible for the community too.

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Eric Whim says...
5:15pm Thu 3 Jan 13

at least the Laindonites have got that nice shopping centre to go ...


Oh hang on, it's still unredeveloped after all these years.

Now where will they go?

Still, get a nice lot of new flats on the old Triangle site after the devastation has been cleared

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davidburton-sampson says...
5:30pm Thu 3 Jan 13

This is a terrible situation and a dreadful loss for the community, not to mention the poor people who have lost their businesses. Our thoughts are with you and your workers who may now be out of work.
As chairman of the Langdon Hills Estate Residents Association we have been in contact with Thames Energy and Basildon Council concerning residents who have pre pay district heating cards which can only be topped up at Martins. Thames Energy will be sending a letter to affected residents later today with a contingency plan to enable you to keep your heating running.
We will also be in contact with Martins to see what can be done to get some sort of temporary facilities for local residents who will struggle whilst these businesses are being rebuilt.

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loves2 says...
6:45pm Thu 3 Jan 13

sorry for the loss of business here and may just add that i have been informed all my collegues are well and can i say to all martins customers we have arranged for your papers to be delivered as soon as possible from laindon centre and have arranged enough stock availability for everyone who wants basics from martins from the laindon main centre as from tomorrow morning and hope we can help the neighbourhood as much as possible espcially the elderly who cant get far.

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loves2 says...
6:48pm Thu 3 Jan 13

davidburton-sampson wrote:
This is a terrible situation and a dreadful loss for the community, not to mention the poor people who have lost their businesses. Our thoughts are with you and your workers who may now be out of work.
As chairman of the Langdon Hills Estate Residents Association we have been in contact with Thames Energy and Basildon Council concerning residents who have pre pay district heating cards which can only be topped up at Martins. Thames Energy will be sending a letter to affected residents later today with a contingency plan to enable you to keep your heating running.
We will also be in contact with Martins to see what can be done to get some sort of temporary facilities for local residents who will struggle whilst these businesses are being rebuilt.
we have already put plan of action into place and everyone can still come to martins laindon centre to pay their bills and gain all their basics and papers will be delivered as from saturday morning to all the locals who have them delivered and stock availability is there for those who cant go far it has already been arranged and we are ready for the extra customers please dont sit with no heating laindon main centre can charge your keys and cards.

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leslog says...
7:01pm Thu 3 Jan 13

if we we have to wait for Basildon council to react quickly after the fiasco of Laindon shopping centre we will have boards up for years,the council chiefs spent years clearing /travellers from a site only for many to park up in adjacent roads ,locals in Langdon hills can only pray this council gets its finger out at last and gets these effected shops approved for rebuilding with safeguards to ensure fires cannot spread from one premises to another like this one did

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davidburton-sampson says...
7:28pm Thu 3 Jan 13

loves2 wrote:
davidburton-sampson wrote:
This is a terrible situation and a dreadful loss for the community, not to mention the poor people who have lost their businesses. Our thoughts are with you and your workers who may now be out of work.
As chairman of the Langdon Hills Estate Residents Association we have been in contact with Thames Energy and Basildon Council concerning residents who have pre pay district heating cards which can only be topped up at Martins. Thames Energy will be sending a letter to affected residents later today with a contingency plan to enable you to keep your heating running.
We will also be in contact with Martins to see what can be done to get some sort of temporary facilities for local residents who will struggle whilst these businesses are being rebuilt.
we have already put plan of action into place and everyone can still come to martins laindon centre to pay their bills and gain all their basics and papers will be delivered as from saturday morning to all the locals who have them delivered and stock availability is there for those who cant go far it has already been arranged and we are ready for the extra customers please dont sit with no heating laindon main centre can charge your keys and cards.
Thank you and more importantly I am pleased that all your staff got out safely as did the others working in the shops.

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Elizabeth Louise says...
8:26pm Thu 3 Jan 13

ELIZABETH LOUISE HAIR AND BEAUTY : A message for all the clients please contact us via Facebook:Elizabeth Louise or via email elizabeth.louise@liv
e.co.uk or on our existing number 01268 418977 from tomorrow for appointments at alternative premises.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all of your support and kind words at this deverstating time. We are all fine and eager to continue our business as usual.

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basildon girl says...
9:28pm Thu 3 Jan 13

Nice to see the businesses are pulling together in these hard time good luck to all of you and hope your businesses are back up and running again soon as laindon will have no shops what so ever good luck all.

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basildon - lad says...
8:33am Fri 4 Jan 13

I think we all need to give a big thank you to all the man and women from Basildon , Rayleigh Orsett and any other stations of Essex fire service. that attended the fire yesterday.

there courage and bravery and quick response made sure they got to the scene in rapid time.

Also Essex Police for there presence in maintaining a safe closure of the surrounding roads

a big big thank you

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haynab66 says...
1:37pm Fri 4 Jan 13

when the`community centre at the triangle that was being used by a Muslim group was arsoned most cared little, some cheered, a few hoped there was people inside, the hatred that was omitted from that community was vile, maybe some people should look in the mirror because thats how devastated they were, peoples lives being shattered is terrible no matter what race or creed

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