A "major incident" has been declared after a fire and explosion ripped through an Essex industrial unit
More than 100 firefighters are dealing with a blaze on farmland between East Hanningfield and Rettendon, which broke out earlier today
Witnesses told the BBC the explosion sounded "like a bomb" and likened it to a "sonic boom"
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service has urged people nearby to avoid the area, and keep windows and doors closed
Aerial footage from the scene shows the wreckage of industrial buildings and burnt out vehicles, with multiple fires burning
It is not clear at this stage what caused the fire - Essex Fire and Rescue Service say the fire has been "surrounded" but is still burning
Video posted on social media captured the moment an explosion tore through an industrial building in Essex earlier today.
It appears a major fire had already broken out prior to the explosion.
Joshua Holmes-Bright
Reporting from Essex
Debbie Thaxter, 63, lives on East Hanningfield Road near the site of the incident. She said it felt like "a sonic explosion" when the fire broke out.
"The whole house completely shook, the windows I thought we were going to lose them," she tells me.
"I ran out the house and my next door neighbour was really distressed and crying because we we just saw the flames," she adds, describing the scene as "really, really frightening".
"When I've gone upstairs all the loft hatches have sort of blown off and everything and part of the plaster's come off the ceiling," she says, adding that her house is currently without power.
Pictures from the scene show dark smoke rising above the smouldering fire, with ambulances parked nearby.
Footage on social media captured the moment the fire triggered a massive explosion in Essex.
We will bring you the full footage shortly.
More from Essex fire service's Dave Bond, who says firefighters "believe that we've got the fire surrounded now".
He asks for the public's patience as they work to extinguish the fire, and says he will share more updates later.
The Essex fire service has declared the fire a major incident due to its size.
In an update posted on social media, Area Manager Dave Bond says there is still "significant smoke" coming from the fire, and people are still advised to stay away from the area.
Aerial footage shows wreckage of huge fire in Essex
Footage captured by the BBC from a helicopter shows the scale of the destruction.
A large area is on fire and the flames are affecting multiple buildings and vehicles.
Image source, Zoie O'Brien/BBC
Image source, Zoie O'Brien/BBCZoie O'Brien
Reporting from Rettendon
From my position on Old Church Road, loud bangs can be heard from the scene of the fire.
The smoke plume is visible many miles away on the A12 and in the area people have pulled over and are watching the scene unfold.
Lewis Adams
Essex
The area where this fire has broken out is a quiet one.
Rettendon is a small village of about 2,000 residents and is surrounded by rolling Essex countryside.
Many people living there will no doubt be shaken by what is happening on their doorstep tonight.
Southend Road runs parallel to the much busier A130, leading drivers to Chelmsford in the north and to Battlesbridge and Runwell in the south, heading towards Basildon and Southend-on-Sea.
Thick smoke plumes into the sky as Essex industrial fire rages
This footage we've gathered shows the scale of the incident the emergency crews are dealing with.
Huge plumes of smoke are billowing up into the air.
As a reminder, there are more than 100 firefighters working at the scene.
Image source, Dave WilkinsThis picture was taken in South Woodham Ferrers
If you're just joining us, here's what we know about this incident so far:
The fire was first reported at 16:50 BST, according to Essex County Fire and Rescue Service's call logs.
Roads in the area surrounding the blaze have been shut by the police.
We've just heard from David Harris, who lives about six miles (10km) away in Rayleigh.
"I was on the telephone talking to my friend in Wickford and I heard a vroom," the 75-year-old says.
"When I went and had a look, there's this great pool of black smoke coming up. I watched it and thought, 'My goodness, what's that all about?'."
Recalling the explosion, he adds: "It sounded as though somebody dropped a sort of pallet of bricks or something just over the road, it was that loud, it was incredible."
More from Steven Whan, who says he's following the fire service's advice.
"I'm not stupid, I’ve shut all my windows," he says.
"What goes up comes down - and it's not nice what's in that cloud."
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Steven Whan, 58, from Bicknacre, near Danbury, thought he had heard a jet's sonic boom when the explosion occurred.
"Our house shook, the doorbell went off. I thought it was a sonic boom because we've experienced that before," he says.
Whan adds: "The police have blocked off everything. You can't get nowhere near it."
Image source, Alison MeadAlison Mead said this picture was taken in Chelmsford just seconds after hearing an explosion
Image source, Nicola CowtonSmoke can be seen from this campsite in Canewdon
Image source, Matthew FergussonThe smoke has been described as like a "mushroom cloud" by Matthew Fergusson
Matthew Fergusson, from Wickford, has described a "massive explosion" that sent a "mushroom cloud" towering into the sky.
"We heard a massive explosion. It shook our house and we're a good mile away.
"I thought someone had dropped something heavy upstairs, but when I went outside the whole street was out.
"The people opposite us said their house shook too."
Image source, Owen Ward/BBCThe smoke as seen from Pitsea, near Basildon
Image source, Carole VernonThis picture was taken by the water in Hullbridge
Image source, Dave WilkinsAnd this image was captured in South Woodham Ferrers
