Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters were called to a grass fire at a country park off Aveley Road in Upminster.
Around one hectare of grass and shrubland was destroyed by fire.
Station Commander Gary Wilson was at the scene, he said: “We used the Brigade’s wildfire vehicle to extinguish the blaze. The vehicle helped crews to get to the parts of the fire which were more challenging to access. It helped firefighters to extinguish the remaining hot spots efficiently.”
The Brigade has been trialling new wildfire response vehicles this summer, which have off-road capabilities and technology that allow firefighters to pump water while driving, enabling them to fight an outdoor fire more quickly and safely. In addition, all firefighters have received enhanced training for grass fires and wildfires - a Wildfire Support Officer was also in attendance at this incident. They were deployed as a wildfire tactical advisor, providing key support to the Incident Commander.
The Brigade was called at 1332 and the incident was under control by 1509. Fire crews from Wennington, Hornchurch and Ilford fire stations were in attendance as well as colleagues from Essex County Fire and Rescue Service and Kent Fire and Rescue Service.