Update on Major Incident at Highlands Farm

Published: 28 July 2026

Helplines have been set up to offer support to businesses and residents directly affected by the fire:

• Residents can call 01245 605748 or email highlands.support@chelmsford.gov.uk. These lines are monitored from 8am-4.45pm on weekdays and can be used by any resident affected by the fire who may, for example, have lost their home or have other specific concerns. For those residents that have had their home damaged, we strongly encourage residents to contact their insurance company as the first priority.
• Businesses based at the site can email economy@chelmsford.gov.uk. We are drawing up a package of emergency support for those affected, including short-term financial assistance, temporary accommodation and business recovery support.

Access to Highlands Farm

We understand that residents, business owners and landowners are keen to access properties within the Highlands Farm site. For the safety of everyone involved and to preserve the integrity of the investigation into the fire, only authorised personnel wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment are currently permitted to enter the site and it remains under an Essex Police cordon.

We recognise the disruption this is causing and appreciate the patience and understanding of those affected and impacted. Access arrangements will be reviewed by the fire service as the investigation progresses and when it is safe to do so. As soon as there is any change to the current restrictions we will share this information with you.

Where possible the fire service has been facilitating visits by residents and business owners to their properties within the cordon, to enable them to pick up items they need or items they need to secure.