Huge fire rips through abandoned building in Colchester

Jodie Bradley
·1-min read
The huge fire in Copford
-Credit: (Image: Joffy Karippai)


Eyewitnesses were left in shock last night after a massive fire tore through an abandoned building in Copford. Firefighters extinguished a fire involving a large derelict building in London Road, Copford, last night (November 18).

Crews were called to the incident at 8:45pm last night and four crews, along with an aerial ladder platform, were sent to the scene. On arrival, crews found the building, which was covered in scaffolding, completely alight.

Due to the instability of the structure, all firefighting was carried out externally. Crew Manager Pete Woodiwiss said: “Crews worked incredibly hard in challenging conditions.

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"Access to the site was difficult, and water supply issues added to the complexity of the incident. Despite this, firefighters were able to bring the fire under control and extinguish it within a few hours.”

The fire was out by midnight, but crews remained at the scene overnight to monitor hotspots and make sure the area was completely safe. The building has been left damaged by the fire, and an investigation into the cause will be carried out by officers when it is safe to do so.

Eyewitness Joffy Karippai said that the fire was horrific, and was pleased that the New Copford Place care home nearby was not affected. He said: “It was horrific and it could have been a disaster as there is a care home behind the building with elderly residents in it."

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