Fire in recycling plant at Tilbury Freeport

Crews tackled a fire at a large warehouse in Thurrock last night. The fire is thought to have been caused by rubbish which self-heated and caught alight.

Firefighters were called to Tilbury Freeport at 8:21pm last night, when a fire broke out in a recycling plant, measuring around 100m x 25m.

Crews were guided to the premise by Tilbury Docks Police, who provided risk-critical information, which allowed firefighters to make a plan to extinguish the fire as quickly as possible.

On arrival, crews confirmed the fire had started within mounds of rubbish which had self-ignited, and quickly spread to stacks of timber in the adjoining warehouse.

Crews were assisted by forklift drivers and a JCB driver from Berryman, who helped to move large amounts of rubbish out of the way to locate the centre of the fire, and to prevent the fire spreading further.

Firefighters worked hard to extinguish the fire, and confirmed the fire was out by 11:10pm.

Watch Manager, Kevin Smith at Orsett Fire Station, said: “The crew from Orsett and both crews from Grays did a fantastic job last night; they worked hard and fast to contain the fire and prevent unnecessary damage.

Police at Tilbury Docks provided extensive information about the premise and the owners, which helped us to work quickly on arrival. I also want to extend our thanks to the forklift drivers and JCB driver from Berryman’s, who worked hard to help clear the rubbish in the building.”