Crews deal with field fires across Essex
Crews have been dealing with a number of field fires across Essex today.
Our Control team has been busy dealing with calls and maintaining fire cover across the county as the heat wave continues.
The biggest incident, which is ongoing, is in Rookery Road, Norton Heath, Ingatestone where a fire was affecting 60 acres of fields.
Eight crews were initially sent to the scene, today at 4.14pm, from Brentwood, Chelmsford, Epping, Harlow, Newport and Wickford.
They were supported by Halstead's Water Bowser, which supplies high volumes of water, Off Road Vehicles from Billericay and Chelmsford, Witham's Incident Command Unit, our Urban Search and Rescue team who used a drone to assist crews, and 4x4 vehicles from Coggeshall and Witham.
The fire is under control and three crews, from Thaxted, Orsett and Brightlingsea, will continue to extinguish hot spots this evening.
Other incidents today have included:
- Haystack alight in Little Yelham Road, Little Yeldham at 9.59am. Two crews from Halstead extinguished the fire by 11.59am
- 100 square metres of grass smouldering in Park Lane, Aveley at 11.32am. Grays firefighters damped it down.
- Five acres of stubble alight in Peggy's Walk, Littlebury at 2.15pm. Two crews from Saffron Walden extinguished it by 2.41pm.
- An area of field near Pitsea Railway Station measuring 50 metres by 50 metres was alight at 3.58pm. Two crews from Basildon extinguished it by 4.33pm.
- 100 metres of hedgerow alight in Bramwood Road, Clacton at 4.57pm. Crews from Brightlingsea and Dovercourt extinguished it by 5.43pm.
Reducing the risk of wildfires
The sunny and dry weather we are experiencing increases the risk of wildfires, so please follow our safety advice.
- Make sure you stub out cigarettes properly and discard them responsibly
- Avoid lighting campfires or barbecues in the countryside. If you do, make sure they are fully extinguished before you dispose of them
- Never leave barbecues or bonfires unattended
- Discard your rubbish, especially glass bottles, responsibly