2006-08-15 / 75 firefighters tackle inferno

MORE than 75 firefighters, including crews from Grays and Orsett, were called out to tackle a huge blaze close to Thurrock.

The inferno, with flames leaping more than 100 feet into the air, was raging at a Warley industrial site on Tuesday evening. Fire crews were alerted at 9.20pm.

The seat of the blaze was a 20-metre high stack of pallets - 50m x 20m at the Chep (UK) pallet contractors site in Great Warley Street.

A lack of water hampered firefighting operations and some of the 17 crews attending, from as far away as Harlow, Chelmsford, Canvey and Epping had to wait for the arrival of a hose-laying appliance to assist in improving supplies.
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Police were called to assist with traffic control and the adjacent A127 was closed for a period of time.

Community Commander DO Dave Bill who was in charge at the site requested the attendance of the Electricity Board to deal with a sub station affected by the incident.
Just before midnight DO Bill reported: "This is a large yard - 200m x 200m - used for pallet storage. 55 % of the yard is well alight. Steady progress is being made in tackling the blaze."