Fire Destroys Food Warehouse in Southwestern England

More than 350 tons of syrup and treacle were involved in a fire Saturday that destroyed a food distribution warehouse in southwestern England, the Essex County Fire and Rescue Service Facebook page reports.

Eight fire engines and two aerial ladders were dispatched at 11:10 p.m. to Kent Foods in Basildon. First reports were of a roof fire but by 12:25 a.m. the entire building was ablaze. Another eight engines were dispatched to the scene.

Residents in the area were advised to stay indoors and keep windows and door closed due to the smoke generated.

According to Facebook, molten syrup began to leak from the building requiring work to prevent it from reaching any nearby waterways. Much of the building collapsed before firefighters could gain control at about 11:30 a.m.

A mechanical digger was brought to the scene to help firefighters reach any pockets of fire still burning in the rubble.

“Good progress has been made overnight in tackling hotspots, with crews remaining at the scene this morning to support the owners ahead of demolition work,” the Facebook page reported Monday.

Kent Foods supplies food manufacturers with sugars and dairy products in bulk.