A major fire broke out late on Tuesday night (9 April) at a long-abandoned warehouse in South Benfleet, sending flames soaring into the night sky and drawing a large emergency response from across South East Essex.
The blaze tore through the former Furniture Kingdom site on the A13 London Road, close to the Sadlers Farm roundabout, shortly after fire crews were alerted to reports of a fire in the empty building.
When firefighters arrived, they were met with a fierce and fast-spreading fire in one of the three large units that make up the disused commercial property. Flames were reported to have reached as high as 30 feet above the roofline, and the roof of the affected unit had already collapsed by the time crews began tackling the blaze.
Firefighters from seven different stations – Basildon, Corringham, Leigh, Orsett, Rayleigh Weir, Southend, and Grays – were sent to the scene. They worked from the ground and above using an aerial ladder platform, while a drone provided a live feed of the situation to help incident commanders coordinate resources and contain the spread.
By 2.30am, fire crews had made significant progress, and just over an hour later, at 3.35am, the fire was confirmed to be out.
Although one of the warehouse units was completely destroyed, quick and decisive action meant the rest of the building was saved. Crews remained on site for several more hours to dampen hotspots and ensure the area was fully safe.
Watch Manager Darryl Worster, from Basildon Fire Station, praised the firefighters’ efforts, saying:
“Crews did a fantastic job in very challenging conditions. Their hard work, skill, and quick actions prevented the fire from spreading further and causing even more damage.”
The warehouse, which once housed the Furniture Kingdom store, has stood empty since the business closed its doors in 2020. Since then, local residents say the building has become a hotspot for anti-social behaviour.
One resident, who asked not to be named, said:
“We’ve seen groups of teenagers breaking in and hanging around in there more than once. It’s been a worry for a while, and I think people have been expecting something like this to happen eventually.”
A full fire investigation will be carried out once the site is fully safe and accessible. No injuries have been reported.