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Firefighters can be seen picking their way across the burnt ground, attempting to put out the still smouldering wreckage with their hoses.

"It had slowly smouldered before igniting nearby materials, eventually causing a much larger fire."

The fires she describes are caused by a former illegal landfill site which has become known as the Rainham Volcano for its constantly smouldering underground blazes.

Under Arnolds Field on Launders Lane, tonnes of years-old and illegally dumped toxic waste have been smouldering beneath the surface for years.

At least 16 helicopters are also being used, with images showing the aircraft dumping water onto the smouldering hills.