Several hundred tonnes of hay alight

Firefighters were called to the scene of a large haystack fire on Thursday evening.

On arrival, crews reported several hundred tonnes of hay were alight, mainly in two large stacks.

Firefighters divided the incident into sectors, to allow them to surround the fire as quickly as possible - and worked incredibly hard to do so amid strong winds.

Crews requested the support of a water bowser - which provides a large supply of water, given the remote location of the fire.

An off-road vehicle, which supports firefighters in tackling and surround fires in remote locations, was also in use.

Smoke from the fire could be seen from some distance away.

At 7.30pm, the fire was surrounded. Crews were working hard to make sure it stays under control - and will oversee it throughout this evening to make sure it burns out safely.

At 8.30pm, the officer in charge advised that now the fire is under control, the incident is being scaled down to leave 3 fire engines at the scene. Botney Hill Road will remain closed for now.

Firefighters will remain at the scene throughout Thursday night to make sure the fire burns out safely.

Could you be an on-call firefighter?

Some of the firefighters who attended this incident are on-call firefighters, who live or work within 5 minutes of the station and are paid to protect their community.

If you live or work within 5 minutes of an on-call fire station, you could be an on-call firefighter too.

Find out more about the role and how to apply at join.essex-fire.gov.uk/on-call