ESSEX County Fire and Rescue Service this afternoon (Sunday, 21 January) announced that crews have finally extinguished a fire that burned for three days. A total of 52 crews attended the incident over its entirety . 

The large fire at a recycling centre in Archers Fields, Pitsea, began around midday on Friday (19 January) and only today, at around 2.30pm were the flames declared out.

On arrival at the site on Friday crews reported around 250 tonnes of recycling and plant machinery was on fire and the first day's firefighting saw seven crews on scene using an aerial ladder platform to extinguish the fire in sections. 

Residents nearby were warned to keep windows and doors closed. 

Through Friday night and into Saturday, firefighters allowed a controlled burn

On Saturday Group Manager Craig McLellan said: "Today we will be changing tactics on how we will be tackling the fire. We'll be working with the site team to pull apart the body of the fire in order to extinguish it. 

"This is likely to cause an increase in smoke in the area, so don't be alarmed if you see a change in conditions. If you live or work in the surrounding area please keep all your windows and doors shut."

An investigation into the cause of the fire found it started accidentally by a lithium ion battery put into a skip. 

Mr McLellan added: "I'd like to start by saying a massive thank you to all the site staff, and the countless firefighters that have been here over the past three days, working tirelessly to extinguish the fire.

"It has been a tremendous effort, and we have now successfully extinguished the fire and are in a position to hand the site back over to the business. 

"I'd like to stress the importance of disposing of your lithium ion batteries properly, not in a skip or with domestic household waste.

"The impact of this fire on the business has been huge, which has been caused due to irresponsible disposal. Always check with your local authority for suitable battery recycling arrangements in your area."