Hundreds of vehicles on fire at scrapyard as firefighters rush to tackle blaze

13 August 2023 , 11:37

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Hundreds of vehicles on fire at scrapyard as firefighters rush to tackle blaze

A huge fire ripped through 200 vehicles at a scrapyard in Essex as dozens of firefighters were called to the scene to tackle the blaze.

Fire crews rushed to the car auctioneers in Rochford after the massive inferno broke out just after 9pm on Friday night. The yard is believed to have some 2,000 cars on site - with Essex County and Fire and Rescue Service saying around 200 have been impacted by the fire.

Around 60 firefighters from 12 different stations attended the scene and managed to get the inferno under control by 11.20pm. A spokesman for the scrapyard said the cause of the fire would be investigated "once safe to do so."

About 200 cars have been destroyed in the fire (Essex County Fire&Rescue / SWNS)

Residents were asked to close their windows as firefighters worked to bring the fire under control. It took crews two hours to tackle the blaze but they continued working overnight to dampen down the site.

Pictures from the scene show the devastating damage caused by the flames, with cars left melted and piles of ash on the ground. Local resident Dinah Symonds said she woke to the sound of explosions and was concerned the winds would blow the flames towards hers and her neighbours' homes. She told the BBC: "That's what really concerned us more than anything else but it was quite spectacular."

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Firefighters remained at the scrapyard overnight after tackling the blaze (Essex County Fire&Rescue / SWNS)

A fire service spokesperson said during the incident: "Nearby residents are being advised to close their windows. The cars are stacked in rows of three storeys. Firefighters have the fire contained and have created a fire break to stop the fire spreading to the remaining cars."

A huge fire broke out at a scrapyard in Rochford, Essex, on Friday night (PA)

Crews from 12 different stations were called to Purdeys Way in Rochford on Friday night (Essex County Fire&Rescue / SWNS)

The scrapyard is operated by car auction firm Copart UK which was due to have a sale on Monday. The cars listed on the auction website include a £15,000 Mercedes-Benz and £41,500 Range Rover.

George Mathias