Bonfire warnings as fire fighters' strike

Fire services across the south have warned people to take extra care with bonfires and fireworks as a countywide strike by fire fighters continues.

The days running up to November 5 are normally their busiest of the year. 999 calls are still being responded to, but there are limited crews available. This from Richard Jones.

The Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service attended 26 calls between 6pm last night and 2pm today at the start of a four day fire fighters strike.

Contingency appliances attended seven of these, two were domestics alarms (false alarms with good intent) whilst the remaining five were:

• house fire at Long Lane, Tilehurst, Reading (no casualties)

• large rubbish fire at Colnbrook, Slough

• mobile home fire at Aldermaston, West Berkshire, one casualty taken to hospital by ambulance

• car fire, M4 westbound, J5 to 4B (junction with M25)

• bonfire, Wargrave Road, Remenham (no action required, bonfire was under supervision)

Fire fighters rescued a woman from a mobile home fire in West Berkshire during the early hours.

Crews from Hampshire and Berkshire were called to Ravenswing Caravan Park at 3am. They found a heavily smoke-logged property and rescued the woman found inside.

She was carried to safety by fire fighters in breathing apparatus and treated at the scene by fire fighters and paramedics before being taken to hospital. She is in a serious but stable condition.

Trevor Ferguson, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service Deputy Chief Fire Officer, said: 'The cause of the fire isn’t yet known and a specialist fire investigation officer will be working with police forensic teams to determine this.

'I’d like to thank the fire fighters and paramedics who attended for their hard work, they did an excellent job. Our thoughts are with the lady who was injured and we wish her a speedy recovery.'

Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) has endured a busy night at the start of a four day strike over an ongoing row with the government over pensions.

Overnight incidents last night included:

• four cars alight in an enclosed car park in City Wall, Canterbury

• burning rubbish piled up against a house in Bowes Road, Strood

• fire in a cellar in Wingham possibly caused by a tumble dryer

• road traffic collision between junctions 4 and 5 of M20. The car was smoking and the crew gave first aid at scene to a man and woman

• barn fire Dartford Road, Hextable., containing around 300 tonnes of baled straw and machinery

• road traffic collision involving two vehicles in St Dunstans Street, Canterbury

• other fires included a bottle bin alight in Margate, litter bins alight in Folkestone, a fire in woods in Key Street, Sittingbourne, and an outdoor fire in Hersden.

Sean Bone-Knell, KFRS Director said: 'Many of the fires have been avoidable and KFRS is again asking the public to not set bonfires over the next four days and take sensible precautions such as not leaving tumble dryers and cookers on while you are out of the house and clearing visible rubbish outside buildings bearing in mind that this is bonfire weekend.

'Everyone needs to take responsibility to make sure that their property safe so that we can ensure that crews are there for life risk incidents rather than out dealing with avoidable fires.'