A FIRE involving 100 tonnes of recycling material has broken out at Recycling In Orsett.
Essex Fire Service have warned the incident at RIO on Stanford Road is likely to be a "protracted" one.
Heavy machinary is assisting three fire crews to move material in a bid to find the seat of the blaze which started at around 7pm.
The incident commander reported at 8.30pm that around 20 per cent of the material involved is alight.
At 9.30pm the fire service reported that "steady progress" was being made with a two pump relief due to take over tackling the fire at 10.30pm.
This fire comes just over two years after a blaze on the same site burned for five weeks.
Residents living nearby suffered various illnesses and fatigue after 40,000 tonnes of wood chips caught light.
RIO is one of the biggest recycling sites in South England and specialises in the production of soils made from civic amenity and development waste.
More to follow.
(Last update at 9.40pm)
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