Updated: Firefighters tackle blaze at Tilbury Docks (From Southend Standard)

Updated: Firefighters tackle blaze at Tilbury Docks

10:10am Sunday 10th March 2013 in Echo News By Jon Austin

AN ENGINE fault is thought to have sparked a fire which broke out in an export container at Tilbury Docks.

Eight fire engines tackled the blaze that broke out last night.

Crews from Orsett, Grays, Southend and Rayleigh Weir spent nearly four hours dealing with the fire that broke out in a 40-foot export container and specialist equipment for moving them known as a straddle carrier.

The fire broke out at 8.35pm and was out by 10.17pm.

An Essex Fire and Rescue spokesman said: “Once the fire was extinguished. Crews used a thermal image camera to check for any remaining hotspots.”

The fire service believes the fire started in the engine of the straddle carrier and has left Tilbury Docks to investigate.

Incident Commander-Assistant Divisional Officer Leigh Cork said:

"The straddle carrier was lifting a container carrying chemicals at the time when the fire broke out, this was unaffected by the fire. However a 40 foot container on the ground had caught fire and crews extinguished the blaze and prevented it from spreading."