Essex firefighters tackle blaze on boat in Tilbury Docks
They worked into the night to put it out
Firefighters in Essex have dealt with a blaze on a ship overnight.
Crews were called to Tilbury docks just after 8pm to reports of a scrap metal fire in the hold of a docked vessel.
Working with the ship's crew and other specialists to contain the incident, they removed the scrap metal using a dockside crane.
The fire service left the scene around midnight.
Station Manager Dave Bond said fires like these highlight the importance of inter-agency working: "The work of the initial crews from Orsett and Grays in establishing an understanding of what we were dealing with and then setting up that initial incident structure was key to ensuring this incident was resolved as quickly as possible.
"Support from our Marine Advisor Group Manager Marc Diggory was also crucial in ensuring the decisions we made were all done in conjunction with the Captain and with an understanding of the overall impact on the ship and its stability.
"Incidents like this show the variety of risk we have in the county of Essex, and how much training as firefighters and officers we need to have to resolve any incident we are sent to."