Busy night for Kent fire services as strike begins

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.'