TWELVE fire crews from across Essex were tackling a huge blaze spread across eighty hectares of fields and woods last night .They used four hose reel jets, water spraying back packs and beaters as well as Pinzgauer all-terrain vehicles to fight the blaze in Langford.

By Annie Davidson

TWELVE fire crews from across Essex were tackling a huge blaze spread across eighty hectares of fields and woods last night .

They used four hose reel jets, water spraying back packs and beaters as well as Pinzgauer all-terrain vehicles to fight the blaze in Langford.

At Mount Shell Farm in Langford Road, the fire was reported at 1.30pm and it took crews five hours to contain the flames.

Firefighters from Maldon, Witham, Tiptree, Great Baddow, South Woodham Ferrers, Tollesbury, Burnham-on-Crouch, Rayleigh, Chelmsford and Tillingham were involved.

Speaking from the scene, assistant divisional officer Stuart McMillan said: “This is a very large fire spread over approximately eighty hectares mixed between woodlands, standing crops and stubble.

“Firefighters are working very hard in hot, difficult and arduous conditions to try and contain this blaze.

“At the moment we have prevented the fire from reaching any property and are working very hard to contain it to fields and woodlands.

“There are 12 pumps and two off road vehicles here all working to prevent the spread and extinguish this fire.”

The fire was still burning last night and four fire crews and one off road vehicle were still at the scene at 9pm.