Firefighters are at the scene of a large tyre fire close the Fairglen Interchange between the A127 and the A130.

A pile of tyres covering an area of 50 metres by 20 metres and stacked two metres high is alight, the incident commander reports.

Two crews from Rayleigh Weir and one crew from Leigh are using three ground monitors and one main jet to control the blaze.

The fire brigade was called to the waste storage site at 8.55pm last night.

Smoke from the blaze is obscuring the road so emergency services have taken the decision to close the A1245 between the Fairglen interchange and the Carpenters Arms roundabout to traffic in both directions. This closure is likely to remain in place for most of the day.

Due to the smoke police have taken the decision to stop traffic joining the Southend-bound A127 from the A130, and cars can only turn eastbound onto the A127. 

Insp Scott Egerton, of Essex Police’s Roads Policing Team, said: "There will be long delays and I would ask people to avoid the area. Diversions will be in place but people should check social media and Essex travel updates for the latest information. The transport network in the area could be affected for most of the day.”

Video of the fire from Courtney Bird

Police are appealing for information in relation to the blaze. Anyone with information about how it started can call Essex Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Greater Anglia train services between London and Southend Victoria are being cancelled or delayed as a result of the fire.

Echo: Scene of the blaze (Picture: Dom Adams)Scene of the blaze (Picture: Dom Adams)

Photo by Dom Adams (@DomAdamsLD)

A Greater Anglia spokesman said: "Due to a fire on property near the railway between Rayleigh and Wickford all lines are blocked.

"Train services between London Liverpool Street and Southend Victoria may be cancelled, delayed by up to 60 mins or revised.

"Owing to thick smoke blowing across the railway from a large fire off the railway between Rayleigh and Wickford the line is currently blocked for safety reasons."

Passengers can use their tickets on c2c services and replacement buses are being arranged to operate between Wickford and Southend Victoria.

UPDATE 11.40PM

An Essex Fire and Rescue spokesman said: "Firefighters are continuing to tackle the blaze. Crews are set to launch a major foam attack in which large capacity foam jets are used to suffocate the fire. Trains on the nearby train line have been halted as a result of this incident."

Divisional officer Gary Jeffrey, incident commander, said: "It is a large pile of tyres which have been tightly bound together at a waste storage site. Because the tyres are so densely packed and tightly bound it is proving difficult to get water on to much of the fire.

"We are about to begin applying large amounts of foam onto the fire which should know it back considerably, but the core of the fire will still be burning deep within the pile and that will prove difficult to get at. We anticipate that this will be a protracted incident."

Echo:

Photo by Dom Adams (@DomAdamsLD)

UPDATE 6.30AM:

Crews remain at the scene of this incident using ground monitors and hose reel to protect surrounding risks. A six pump relief is set to take over at 07:00hrs. 

Essex Fire and Rescue's Gary Jeffrey said: "The foam attack was successful in knocking the flames back but the fire continues to burn deep within the pile. We are now using water to cool the pile and protect surrounding risks. We have a system in place to recycle water run off. 

"We hope to get some heavy plant machinery in to start breaking the pile up later to give us better access to extinguish the fire."

Echo:

Photo: Essex Fire and Rescue

 

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service is joined by, Essex Police, the British Transport Police, Network Rail, Public Health England, the Environment Agency, Essex County Council and Rochford District Council which are also reacting to the incident.

Echo:

Photo: Essex Fire and Rescue

Public Health England, has issued the following advice: 

• Any smoke can be an irritant and, as such, if people have to be outdoors, they are advised to avoid outside areas affected by any smoke or ash or to limit the time that they spend in them. 

• If people can see smoke outside their property, or can see evidence of soot particles on window sills or external surfaces, then they should stay indoors with windows and doors closed and any air-conditioning either switched off or set to internally re-circulate the air until the fire has been brought under control.

• For anyone who already has problems with their lungs for example, asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder - it is advisable to stay inside while the fire is still burning, minimise infiltration of smoke by keeping windows and doors closed and to be sure to keep all necessary medicine with you. 

• Keep children with any respiratory problems indoors.

• Some of the substances present in smoke can irritate the lining of the air passages, the skin and the eyes. Respiratory symptoms include coughing and wheezing, breathlessness, sputum (phlegm) production and chest pain. If symptoms occur, people should seek medical advice or call NHS 111.