Three fire engines were destroyed in blaze and explosion in Essex – fire chief

Rick Hylton, chief fire officer for Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, reads a statement to the media at Great Baddow fire stationThree fire engines and two officer cars were destroyed in a “large and rapidly developing” blaze at an industrial unit in Essex on Friday night, a fire chief has said. Nearby residents were evacuated and a “major incident” was declared as around 100 firefighters continued to battle the blaze overnight. On Saturday afternoon, ECFR chief fire officer/chief executive Rick Hylton confirmed that 20 firefighters were taken to hospital in the aftermath of the fire. He said: “The fire and explosion has also destroyed three fire engines and two officer cars that were being used to respond to the incident. “I can confirm that 20 firefighters attended hospital following the incident.