Rochford: Electric car sparks Essex scrapyard blaze which left eight vehicles burning

A fire in an electric car sparked a blaze which set eight cars alight at a scrap yard, said the fire service.

Essex Fire and Rescue said three crews were called to the fire near Brickfields Way in Rochford at 8.47pm on Wednesday.

When the crews from Rochford, Southend and Leigh arrived they found eight cars in flames but they managed to stop the blaze spreading to any other vehicles.

Temporary watch manager Steven Gabriel said: "Firefighters have done an excellent job to contain the fire to stop it from spreading to surrounding areas.

"Unfortunately, although the vehicles have been destroyed, this could very easily have become an even more significant incident without such a professional response from our crews."

The service said the cause of the fire was a fault in an electric car which had been scrapped and taken to the yard.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know