FIRE fighters have spent six hours tackling a blaze on an industrial estate where wood chippings caught alight.

Eighteen appliances from across Essex attended the incident to help control the ten metre high flames at the Birchwood Industrial Estate on Hoe Lane, Nazeing.

Darren Williams, General manager at Orbital Engineering, where the fire started, said it will be burning for weeks.

He added: "We have got so many problems here at the moment I really don't have time to say more, but the fire is still very much alight."

The wood chippings caught alight last night (January 5) and fire fighters were called to the scene at around 2.30 this morning, where the fire had spread across a one hectare area.

Incident Commander Divisional Officer Andy Stapleton said: "The fire is under control and ten per cent of the wood pile remains alight. Fire crews are using one monitor and two jets to extinguish the blaze.

"Fire crews have done an excellent job to stop the fire from spreading to other business units."

It is not known how the fire started and an investigation will be carried out once it has been extinguished.

If you saw the fire or took any photographs, contact the Guardian on 020 8498 3431.