Fire Destroys Essex Tyre Warehouse

Fire crews have unsuccessfully fought to save a specialist tyre warehouse from destruction in the Essex town of Rochford. Eight fire pump units attended the Ashingdon Road blaze early on Thursday January 4, and were required to cut open the building with a disc cutter in order to gain access to the heavily smoke logged site.

By 9.45am the fire had spread to a large portion of the building. Assistant Divisional Officer Martin Hodder, officer in charge of the incident, reported “Access to the site is very difficult and fifty per cent of the first floor is well alight with fire from the flat roof threatening the upper storey. Crews are having to manhandle tyres out of the stock room to allow us access to the seat of the fire.”

The fire was extinguished at approximately 1.45pm, and the building’s rear wall required shoring up after concerns were raised that it might collapse due to the damage it suffered during the fire.

Rochford Tyres is located in the Swaines Industrial Estate in Rochford. The company operates the online shop tyresite.com