Fire at Universal Tyre in Essex

A fire involving around 500 tyres at Universal Tyre in Colchester occurred at around 23:00 on Tuesday, 18 October. The BBC reports that residents in the area were evacuated for the evening, but were allowed to return home this morning, after eight fire crews managed to extinguish the blaze overnight.

The corporation quoted Colchester Station officer Joe Hassall as saying the decision to evacuate the three-storey block of flats was made upon arrival: “The fire was heading for two different workshop garages at the back, so speed was of the essence.” The police and fire services will investigate the cause of the fire, while the Environment Agency was informed of its occurrence.