Firefighters tackle 600 tonne textiles blaze in Braintree

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service (ECFRS) have been tackling a fire in Braintree, where approximately 600 tonnes of mixed textiles caught fire.

Crews were expected to remain on the site in Convent Lane overnight, to extinguish the blaze.

Firefighters from Braintree, Halstead and Coggeshall were all called around 9pm last night, with locals nearby urged to keep windows and doors closed.

Watch Manager Steve Byrne said: "It is a large pile of mixed textiles on fire at a waste site. If you live in the nearby area, please keep windows and doors shut as there is a lot of smoke coming from the scene which has caused a smoke plume going towards the Bocking area.

"Crews are likely to remain here overnight to extinguish the fire."

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