Families told to keep windows shut after car catches fire and destroys home

| Freelance News Reporter Published October 4, 2026 1:57pm Updated October 4, 2026 1:57pm Firefighters described ‘particularly challenging’ conditions in Little Walden due to poor water supplies (Picture: Essex County Fire and Rescue Service) A car without an MOT destroyed a family home in Essex and sent smoke billowing into the air. Ten fire engines and a water bowser were needed to bring the blaze in Little Walden under control due to a poor water supply. Firefighters were drafted in from neighbouring counties Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to tackle the fire which also engulfed a workshop. The vehicle concerned was on the MOT ramp at D&K Vehicle Services when it burst into flames. Company director and mechanic Callum Ogborn said the Japanese campervanhad failed its test four days earlier. Sign up for all of the latest stories Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens. He told the BBC: ‘We just had to get out the building and there was nothing more we could do – we all just had to stand there and watch our entire workshop burn to the ground.’ The fire, caused by a 1990s Japanese campervan, destroyed both a family home and business (Picture: Essex County Fire and Rescue) The garage owner said work done by his family to build up the business over the last 10 years had been taken away. ‘It’s absolutely soul-destroying’, he said. Two vehicles were completely destroyed in the inferno, while another six were severely damaged in the extreme heat, he said. Essex County Fire and Rescue service said the operation was ‘particularly challenging’ because of the presence of acetylene cylinders. Group manager Andy Message said: ‘Firefighters have worked extremely hard with the support of crews from neighbouring counties in Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to extinguish the fire. ‘We are now in a position to scale the incident down and have crews remaining to monitor and cool hotspots.’ Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: Firefighter is engulfed in flames as France rocked by school protests Arrow MORE: Delta plane passengers hospitalised after ‘smoke in the cabin’ forces emergency landing Arrow MORE: Cause of house fire that killed mum and three children in ‘devastating incident’ News Updates Stay on top of the headlines with daily email updates.