PFCC statement: Response to major incident in East Hanningfield praised
Joel Charles, the Deputy Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, has praised the response to the major incident in East Hanningfield. He said:
"Be in no doubt how challenging the incident has been in East Hanningfield. A fire spread quickly through several industrial units causing significant damage. There is still ongoing activity to bring the fire under control at the farm site, but the area is surrounded and being monitored. The immediate danger to the public has been addressed by the Essex County Fire and Rescue Service.
“Members of the emergency services rapidly responded to the major incident yesterday evening. It was a complex incident that presented a serious risk to the first responders. A huge amount of courage and professionalism was shown to tackle the fire. The public should be proud of each of the 100 firefighters who tackled the blaze at its peak. Firefighters from London and Suffolk provided cover overnight across the rest of the county whilst the emergency response continued.
“The skill and dedication of the control room operators, police officers and ambulance staff ensured that the full operational deployment and management of the site was exceptional. It is important to underline that this was one of the biggest emergency responses seen in recent years in Essex.
“Under challenging and hazardous conditions, quick actions helped to protect nearby homes and those residents impacted by the fire. This brought the situation under control as safely as possible.
“The firefighters taken to hospital following the incident have been discharged. It is their bravery that made all the difference – ongoing welfare support will be provided to them as a priority. Any incident of the scale that just took place will have an impact on those who responded.
“There is understandably wide public concern, particularly for those living nearby, about what happened. I want to thank all the local residents for their patience and understanding as the work by the fire and rescue service continues at the site. A full investigation is already underway to determine what happened, which has the full support of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.
“What we have witnessed overnight is highly trained members of the emergency services doing all they can to keep Essex residents safe. I am sure the county is grateful for everything they have done and will continue to do.”