Arson Destroys Thirty-Six Buses at Chadwell St Mary Depot

A large-scale fire, deemed to have been started deliberately, incinerated around 36 double-decker buses at a depot in Chadwell St Mary, near Grays, Essex. The incident, which occurred shortly after 18:00 BST on Friday, generated a considerable plume of thick black smoke visible across the area.

Fire crews from Grays, Basildon, and Orsett responded to the blaze, working to contain the significant damage. By 21:00, firefighters had brought the situation under control, though the extensive destruction to the fleet was already complete.

Lee Hurst, a station manager involved in the response, described the event as a “significant and challenging incident involving a large number of vehicles.” An investigation conducted subsequent to the incident confirmed the fire's deliberate origin. Hurst acknowledged the efforts of both firefighting personnel and local farmers who assisted in managing the extensive conflagration.