A fire is raging behind The Broadway in Debden

At 11.18am fire fighters were called Burton Road behind The Broadway in Debden.

When they arrived they found a construction site was ablaze.

The £10m project is being built on behalf of Epping Forest District Council and would have comprised 51 affordable units, made up of 17 homes and 34 apartments.

Crews from Loughton, Waltham Abbey, Epping, Ongar, Chelmsford and Chingford attended.

By 12pm the smoke had subsided. 

A spokesperson for Essex Fire and Rescue Service said: "Crews have requested the support of an Aerial Ladder Platform to help them tackle the fire from height.

"At 12.01pm, firefighters reported that the incident has been sectorised to allow crews to surround the fire more efficiently.

"By 12.30pm the incident commander has reported that the fire is now surrounded and good progress is being made. "Firefighters are currently working to extinguish fires within the roof space of the building.

"Please avoid the area. Several roads near to the building will remain closed for some time while firefighting takes place.

"If you live or work nearby, please keep doors and windows closed to avoid being affected by the smoke."

A witness to the incident said they heard a large bang before the fire took hold. 

They said: "There was a bang which sounded like a gas bottle exploding. 

"I don't know if anyone was in there. 

"It was a loud, deep bang."

Councillor Chris Whitbread, leader of the district council, was at the scene.

He said: “Our first concern is for the safety and welfare of all concerned.

“The development is being built for us by Mulalley – a large construction company with a long and successful track record of building major projects.

"It is too early to say what caused the fire but it is clearly large.

“The council has several roles: we are the client and this is a serious setback for us and all those people we are building these new homes for.

"More importantly in the short term we have a supporting role to the emergency services and would be in a position to set up rest centres nearby if required for neighbouring residents.

"At this stage our staff are on standby if rest centres are needed.

"We also employ specialist building control officers who will be at the disposal of Essex Fire and Rescue to assess the damage and ensure the buildings are made safe once the fire is out.

“In the longer term we will recover.

"Bricks and mortar can always be replaced and we will rebuild these much needed homes for local people.

"For now, our thoughts are focused on the safety of everyone living and working in the area."

More to follow.