Crews extinguish fire affecting derelict building in Copford

Update 19 November 2.45pm 

The cause of the fire has been recorded as deliberate. 

Firefighters have extinguished a fire involving a large derelict building in London Road, Copford.

Crews were called to the incident at 8:45pm last night (18 November) and four crews, along with an aerial ladder platform, were sent to the scene.

On arrival, crews found the building, which was covered in scaffolding, completely alight. Due to the instability of the structure, all firefighting was carried out externally.

Crew Manager Pete Woodiwiss said:
“Crews worked incredibly hard in challenging conditions. Access to the site was difficult, and water supply issues added to the complexity of the incident. Despite this, firefighters were able to bring the fire under control and extinguish it within a few hours.”

The fire was out by midnight, but crews remained at the scene overnight to monitor hotspots and make sure the area was completely safe.

The building has been left damaged by the fire, and an investigation into the cause will be carried out by officers when it is safe to do so.