Electrical Substation Fire Evacuates Southend Homes, Garden Centre

A fire at an electrical substation next to Scott's of Southend garden centre on Sutton Road in Rochford led to the evacuation of the garden centre and nearby homes. Firefighters from multiple stations quickly contained the blaze, which was believed to be accidental, and the power outage impacted the area temporarily. The road near the scene was closed to traffic, and residents were advised to keep windows and doors closed to avoid smoke exposure. Thanks to coordinated efforts by Essex Fire crews and the support of the garden centre staff, the fire was extinguished by early afternoon, allowing Scott's of Southend to reopen promptly the following day. Authorities expressed gratitude for the community's patience during the incident. A similar but unrelated fire in a Dublin shopping centre also caused precautionary evacuations but was resolved with a return to normal business shortly after.