Twelve fire crews battled to stop flames spreading to livestock sheds as they tackled a fierce blaze at a barn early today.
Firefighters were called to the large barn at around 8.15pm last night and it took more than four hours for chief officers to be satisfied that progress was being made in dealing with the incident.
Crews said that on arrival the barn was “100% alight” and they worked to extinguish the fire in sections of the building, which measured 90metres by 50m – having to work through the night.
They contained the fire to prevent it spreading to adjoining buildings which are home to a number of turkeys. All livestock are safe.
Due to the remote location of the incident, a water bowser – a specialist fire vehicle with a large tank of water – was requested so the firefighters could have a good supply of water to extinguish the fire.
At 12.30am, the incident at Old Southend Road, Chelmsford, was scaled down to six fire engines and one Aerial Ladder Platform (ALP).
A spokesman for Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said: “Crews are making steady progress extinguishing the fire and protecting the surrounding risks so the fire does not spread.
“An investigation will be carried out in the morning to determine the cause of the fire.”
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