Plumes of smoke were covering the sky in south Essex after reports of an Essex explosion, and the smoke was visible across several areas. It could be seen as far as Chelmsford and Maldon, while the source had still not been discovered.
Rettendon speculation
Residents on social media groups were saying the smoke may have come from a farm in the Rettendon area. That comment was circulating while the wider picture remained unchanged: the smoke was still spreading across south Essex, and the source had not been identified.
Essex County Fire and Rescue service
Essex County Fire and Rescue service had not yet provided an initial update. The Maldon and Burnham Standard said it had contacted the service for a comment, leaving the public with only the visible smoke plume and online speculation to go on.
Chelmsford and Maldon
For people in Chelmsford, Maldon and other parts of south Essex, the immediate takeaway is simple: the incident was large enough to be seen across multiple areas, but there was no public explanation yet for what had caused it. The next useful update will be the first one from Essex County Fire and Rescue service on where the smoke started and whether the source was a farm in Rettendon or something else entirely.
