Fire crews responded to a significant vehicle fire in the Essex village of Great Leighs on Saturday, 19 April 2026. Essex County Fire and Rescue Service confirmed they were called to the incident on the A131 at around 1:30 PM.
Images from the scene showed a large plume of black smoke rising into the sky and the burnt-out shell of a vehicle, reported to be a van. Crews from Chelmsford and Braintree fire stations attended the incident.
The fire service stated that firefighters used two hose reels and breathing apparatus to extinguish the blaze. The A131 was closed in both directions for a period while crews dealt with the incident, causing traffic disruption.
There were no reports of any injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the fire service.
