FIREFIGHTERS used an off-road engine to get to four fires that were deliberately set near a caravan site last night.

Two crews from Grays attended the fires, which had been lit on wasteland off Ship Lane, Aveley, in standard engines but were joined by a crew from Billericay in the service's Pinzgauer off-road vehicle in order to reach fires on some of the more difficult terrain.

They used two main jets to tackle the fires set, the first of which was extinguished by 10.45pm, the other three by 11.09pm.

The crews then spent time turning over and damping down the area to make sure the fires were fully out.

Although the fires are believed to have been set deliberately, an Essex Police spokesman said the force was not investigating.