An enormous tyre fire on a farm in Essex has shut down roads and trains , leading to travel chaos this morning as firefighters battle to control the blaze . Residents of the area have been warned to stay indoors with their doors and windows shut if they see smoke , with children and asthmatics in particular danger . The fire started last night at a farm near the Fairglen interchange off the A130 , between Wickford and Rayleigh . Blaze : Firefighters at the scene of a tyre fire which broke out last night between Wickford and Rayleigh in Essex . Inferno : Seven fire crews have used water and foam in an effort to extinguish the enormous fire . Eruption : The fire has proved difficult to control because the tyres are packed tightly together and it is hard to get water to the core . Seven fire engines were sent to tackle the blaze , which has proved particularly tricky because the waste tyres are packed closely together making it difficult to extinguish the core of the fire . The A1245 has been closed in both directions because of smoke reducing visibility in the area and this is likely to continue for most of the day , Essex Police said . Greater Anglia train services on the line to London are not running between Southend and Wickford , and are not expected to restart until this afternoon . Inspector Scott Egerton , of Essex Police 's roads policing team , said : 'There will be long delays and I would ask people to avoid the area . 'Diversions will be in place but people should check social media and Essex travel updates for the latest information . The transport network in the area could be affected for most of the day . ' Flames : Local residents were told not to go outside because of the risk of smoke inhalation and other injuries . Tricky : Firefighters ended up using foam to beat back the flames , but it took longer to get to the fire burning at the core . Action : Crews battled through the night to try and extinguish the fire on a farm . Dramatic : Flames leapt up from the fire through the night and into the morning despite the best efforts of fire crews . Gary Jeffrey of Essex Fire and Rescue Service said that crews remain at the scene attempting to put out the fire . 'It is a large pile of tyres which have been tightly bound together at a waste storage site , ' he said early this morning . 'Because the tyres are so densely packed and tightly bound it is proving difficult to get water on to much of the fire . ' Firefighters successfully brought the flames under control with foam this morning , but they are still fighting to extinguish it completely . 'The foam attack was successful in knocking the flames back but the fire continues to burn deep within the pile , ' Mr Jeffrey said . 'We are now using water to cool the pile and protect surrounding risks . 'We hope to get some heavy plant machinery in to start breaking the pile up later to give us better access to extinguish the fire . ' Disruption : Train services in the area were shut down all morning , causing chaos for commuters travelling to London . At work : Firefighters next to the fire as it continued to burn this morning . Closed : The A1245 was shut in both directions as a result of the danger from smoke pouring into the air . Public Health England said in a statement that local residents should 'avoid outside areas affected by any smoke or ash ' . It added : 'If people can see smoke outside their property , or can see evidence of soot particles on window sills or external surfaces , then they should stay indoors with windows and doors closed until the fire has been brought under control . 'For anyone who already has problems with their lungs , for example asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder , it is advisable to stay inside while the fire is still burning , minimise infiltration of smoke by keeping windows and doors closed and to be sure to keep all necessary medicine with you . ' Residents who are suffering from ill health as a result of the fire should seek medical attention .
Fire occurred last night at a junction just off the A130 between Wickford and Rayleigh , and was still burning this morning . The tyres which are on fire were packed tightly together making it hard to penetrate the core of the blaze . The A1245 is closed in both directions while all trains between barking and barking have been cancelled . Public Health England advises residents not to go outside if they see danger and to keep doors and windows open .