A HUGE fire ripped through a scrap yard in Rochford on Friday evening, and here is everything we know.

On Friday. Essex Fire were called to Purdeys Way in Rochford at around 9pm.

This was following reports of approximately 200 cars alight at a scrap yard on the industrial estate.

Echo: Fire - Crews tackle the blazeFire - Crews tackle the blaze (Image: Graham Eva Photography ©️)

The cars at the scrap yard were stacked in rows of three storeys and Essex fire estimated there to be around 2,000 cars on site.

READ MORE >> IN PICTURES: 60 firefighters tackle huge blaze at scrap yard in Rochford

As the fire took hold, nearby residents were advised to close their windows and stay indoors.

Witnesses described hearing “loud bangs” and “explosion” sounds as the blaze ripped through the site.  

More than 60 firefighters attended and managed to create a fire break to stop the fire spreading to the remaining cars.

At around 7am yesterday morning, only two crews were still at the industrial estate as they continued to dampen down hotspots and make the scene safe.

They remained on site until around 11am yesterday morning, once the scene had fully cooled.

An investigation is now underway to determine the cause of the fire and to establish if it was accidental or deliberate.