Nearby residents were urged to keep windows and doors closed due to the smoke
Six fire engines were called to the scene on Swanscombe Marshes.(Image: Melissa Jacques)
A huge fire broke out at a Kent marsh and damaged a large area of grassland. Crews from Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) rushed to the Swanscombe Marshes, between Dartford and Gravesend, shortly after 6pm yesterday (April 23).
Grass and undergrowth had caught alight, with the flames soon spreading over a wide area, causing a large volume of smoke to fill the skies above. Photos taken at the scene show dark plumes of smoke rising from the marshes throughout the evening.
Fire crews urged people living in Greenhithe and Swanscombe to close their doors and windows while the smoke lingered. At the incident’s peak, six fire engines attended, alongside an all-terrain vehicle.
In a final update shared at 9.30pm, KFRS said the advice to keep windows and doors closed had been lifted as crews worked to bring the blaze under control. Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.
A spokesperson for KFRS said in the final update: “Crews have made good progress in tackling the fire, which covered around five hectares of grassland on Swanscombe marshes, and are now damping down hot spots. There are no reported injuries, and the cause is not yet known.”
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