Updated: Vange scrapyard blaze (From Echo)

Updated: Vange scrapyard blaze

7:39am Thursday 3rd July 2008

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FIREFIGHTERS were faced with exploding gas cylinders as they tackled a fierce fire at a scrap yard under investigation for operating illegally.

Fire ripped through the Marsh House, off the A13 in Vange, with explosions heard by residents living the other side of the dual carriageway.

The remote site, which is next to Marsh Farm, has been targeted by police and officials from the Environment Agency twice in the last four months.

Two arrests were made last month following a raid over allegations the yard was dismantling vehicles without a licence.

Resident Penny Witherington, of Brickfield Road, said: "I saw the smoke coming from the yard and then heard popping and cracking sounds, I didn't know what was happening."

Crews from across south Essex raced to the yard at around 8.30pm on Tuesday and found five cars alight. They had to travel across a railway line and down a dirt track to reach the blaze.

Explosive accetylene cylinders were also caught in the fire and a 200-metre cordon was set up, which remained in place yesterday.

A specialist fire officer, who has knowledge of chemical and gas risks, visited the site yesterday morning and Essex Police scenes of crime officers were also sent to assist the fire service in establishing the cause of the blaze.

Tim Shepperd, of the Environment Agency, also assessed the site. He has visited it six times since last December as part of the ongoing investigations.

He said: "We came here with the police in March as part of an investigation into activities on the site in terms of dismantling vehicles without a licence.

"We returned last month and arrests were made.

"Our main concern today is with the environment. Vange Marshes are all around and we now have dirty water running into them."

Marsh House is part of a seven-acre site and the house itself is a derelict listed building.

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