CREWS, including from Basildon, Colchester, Frinton, Orsett and Southend, are continuing to work hard to remove the thatched roof and check for hotspots.

Six crews remain at the scene but this will continue to be scaled back over the next few hours.

Crews are tackling a thatched roof fire in Hatfield Broad Oak.

We were called to Broad Street Green today (Wednesday 31 December) at 3.20pm.

The thatched roof of a two-storey cottage was about 50% alight. The first crews on the scene started to create firebreaks to stop the fire spreading and began extinguishing the fire.   

Crews from Chelmsford (two), Dunmow, Harlow (two), Newport, Wethersfield, Corringham, Epping and Loughton are in attendance, along with:

• an aerial ladder platform from Grays
• a water bowser from Halstead, to provide large volumes of water
• an incident command unit from Hawkwell
• a drone from our Urban Search and Rescue team

Station Manager Howard Midwood said: “We are committing a large amount of resources, including at this moment around 20 firefighters wearing breathing apparatus who are continuing the arduous job of extinguishing the fire and stripping back the roof.

“Crews have done a fantastic job of creating firebreaks and salvaging possessions from the cottage.

“We are making steady progress but will be at the scene well into the evening.”