A HUGE field fire in a village was started by accident, firefighters have found.

Crews called for the public to avoid Dedham Road, Lawford, last Thursday, so they could deal with the incident.

Five fire crews were sent to tackle the flames, which were believed to have started at about 3.30pm.

When the first officers arrived, they reported that about 300 metres of the field of standing crops was on fire.

The fire officer requested extra firefighters to help tackle the blaze.

A spokesman said: “Firefighters worked hard to stop the fire spreading to nearby stables and successfully extinguished it the fire by 4.40pm.

“Firefighters stayed at the incident to check for any remaining hot spots and ensure the scene was safe.”

Chris Tuck, who drove past the fire, said: “Fire crews were just arriving when I went through.

“I went the other way half an hour before and there was nothing.

“You could feel the heat in the car.

“It was just a wall of fire, you could hear the crop crackling, the smoke was heavy and the heat was intense.”

The blaze comes after a series of recent fires across the UK, as the country experiences an ongoing heatwave.

Essex Fire Service said cause of the fire has been confirmed as accidental.