SIX fire crews tackled a blaze across an area of grassland covering 2,000 square metres, in Ashfield, East Tilbury.

Firefighters from Orsett, Grays, and Brentwood used hoses and beaters to tackle the flames.

They took almost two hours to bring the fire under control and then damp down the site.

Grays Station Commander, Jim Jones, said: “The fire covered 20 to 30 hectares of a former landfill site covered in vegetation.

“Crews worked in difficult conditions, hindered by poor access and strong winds.

“We extinguished the fire using a water shuttle relay with the Pinzgauer off-road vehicle doing most of the difficult work over the open ground.

“At the height of the fire we had six appliances on the scene.

“As we took control that was reduced to four.”

The cause of the fire is unknown.