Firefighters tackle fire in Elstree Road field near Bushey

Motorists in Elstree Road, between Bushey Heath and Elstree, noticed smoke rising from a field next to the road early this afternoon.

Herts Fire and Rescue have confirmed that they were called with reports of the outdoor blaze at around 12.05pm.

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A spokesperson said: “One fire engine from Watford fire station was sent to the scene, where the crew found a large pile of rubbish on fire in a field.

“Firefighters extinguished the fire then turned over and damped down the rubbish to tackle remaining hotspots.”

A witness claims that items among the rubbish appeared to have “exploded” while the pile was alight.

In a video taken from the scene, shortly before the fire service arrived, smoke can be seen drifting towards Bushey Heath but it does not appear that the fire was likely to spread beyond the large pile of refuse.