“I closed the door, and then the explosion happened, and it threw me against the door – everything was raining down on me,” says Scott Johnson.

The wedding photographer had just walked out of his studio at Highlands Farm, near Rettendon, Essex, when a fire caused a huge explosion at the industrial estate.

The fire service declared a major incident on Friday as more than 100 firefighters tackled the flames. Twenty firefighters were taken to hospital and have since been discharged.

It was like “witnessing something that is literally out of a movie”, said Johnson, adding it was a miracle he was unscathed except for “some really nasty tinnitus”.

The photographer was driving to his studio for a meeting when he realised the fire on the horizon was at the farm where it was based.

“It was about 150 metres (492ft) from my front door, and I quickly cancelled the meeting and thought, ‘I’m not happy with where the wind is going on this’,” he said.

Johnson began removing some of his more expensive kit from the studio and was putting it in the van when the explosion took place.

A unit housing fertiliser had exploded.

He said: “It blew me into the door and I just ran to the van, dropped the bit I went back in for – maybe it saved my life, I don’t know.”

As it happened: Twenty firefighters taken to hospital after major Essex explosion

The photographer was shocked to see his studio roof had completely caved in.

Having driven to a safe distance, “I pulled over, and I was just in shock and started to shake”, he said, although he was reassured after an ambulance crew checked him over.

Johnson managed to cover his wedding booking on Saturday, praising his “amazing assistant” James Musselwhite for driving from Portsmouth to help him out.

“I’m in a little bit of shock still, to be honest,” he said.

“I’m completely unscathed apart from a bit of a dodgy ear from the pressure – but how I’ve got away with it unscathed I have no idea.”

Rick Hylton, the county’s chief fire officer, described the incident as “one of the most challenging and complex incidents Essex County Fire and Rescue Service has responded to in recent years”.

Throughout Saturday evening, crews were tackling small fires, which had spread due to the wind, in neighbouring fields.

About 15 firefighters remained on the scene overnight to dampen down hotspots and monitor the area.

Station Manager Paul Champ said: “We’d like to thank the local community for their continued patience while we’ve been working with partners to make the area safe.

“Recovery information for residents and businesses will be coordinated by Chelmsford City Council.”

An investigation into the cause of the fire has begun.

The UK Health Security Agency confirmed the risk to health from the debris and smoke plume was low.

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