Tens of thousands of people were stuck in traffic chaos as a fierce blaze forced the closure of the M25 and QEII bridge on Sunday.
More than 50 firefighters from across south Essex battled through the day and night to contain the inferno, which started at Eagle Global Logistic on the Dolphin Industrial Estate, West Thurrock, at around 8.50am.
It caused jams of up to seven miles long as far away as London and Kent. Roaring flames could be seen from the M25 and the billowing black smoke could pinpointed the scene of the fire from many miles away.
The fire is believed to have started at one end of the storage warehouse, which totally collapsed, before ripping through the whole of the 100m by 100m site destroying everything in the warehouse.
Mechanic Colin Halfacre, 40, who was parked nearby in a recovery vehicle, said: "I was just sitting in my truck when I saw the flames. They must have leapt 60ft high.
"It was unbelievable and seemed to spread in a matter of minutes."
Firefighter David Bill said: "No one was injured in the blaze. Being so close to the motorway has impacted on the seriousness of the fire."
More in today's Evening Echo and this week's Thurrock Gazette newspapers.
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