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Wildfire Season


Becile

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Well Surrey are getting their share so far this week. 1 x 5 hectares, 1 x 6 hectares, 1 x 14 hectares.

The last one saw 22 firefighting vehicles, unimogs, landrovers, pumps water carriers etc and the drone at its height (had another 6 pump going on at the same time) anyone who knows Surrey, that's us all done, standby pumps from other counties including the big L.

Crews still damping down 2 days later.

I'm sure we've got more to come, it's going to be a long summer on the commons!

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A large proportion of England in a widening South-Easterly line from the Pennines down to the Home Counties including the whole of the Greater London area is showing as 'very high' risk on the Met office Widlfire severity map. We haven't had anything significant yet, although as I type there are two grass fire with additional Pumps required. Our issue is the number of major fires happening elsewhere in LFB. We've had an exceptionally busy week, Thursday evening there was a 15pf, last night a 10pf and this morning while we had a 20pf in Progress (with a 15p relief on its way) we had an 8pf in a row of houses in SE London, a 5pf in a sub basement of a City High rise and a 4pf in a chip shop all kick off around the same time.

I ended up 'nicking' 4 pumps from the 20 to give back, getting them back to their stations for change of watch, released a CU to go to the 8pf and also diverted an ALP coming all the way from Wembley to standby at Greenwich to give cover to SE London. As I was finally relived, I was informed that there was only 1 GM spare in the LFB and would I stay on duty. Ended up monitoring a person under a train in Richmond (deep SW) from my house which is about as far East as you can go in London.

The Grass fires although not yet bad are beginning to affect day to day calls with 46 of the 539 calls (so far) today being grass/bush/tree/field/fence type fires. Gos help us by next weekend, who said my last month would be easy!!! ?

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10 pump LFB read 6 for every one else 

Same here Steve..and very close to recalling officers on Thurs, I've done a couple of recalls in the last 2 weeks!

Remember we have 4 off road firefighting unimogs that you could call on. Or you can just keep rolling out that 64m hose all the time ! (Not you personally !)

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Not reached rural Essex yet afaik though I did notice earlier today that the farmers fields are just turning golden which is a good two or three weeks earlier than I would expect.  If it is as hot and dry as predicted for the next ten days then it could get busier.

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2 hours ago, Becile said:

10 pump LFB read 6 for every one else 

I'm not sure I like how that reads to be honest, a suggestion of overkill maybe?

A better explaination might be we can becuase we can afford to and as a result we stop fires a lot earlier?

PS You can have another of your 10 (6pf's) to that, roof of a block of flats going in Kentish Town. Ultimately, whether they are bigger than anyone else makes them... you still got to have the fires in the first place to make anything up. I'd say we've probably had more make ups in a week than some FRS have had primary fires according to the news feeds I read. Its all horses for courses.

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Steve, not meant that way at all, no not overkill, we have been cut to the bone and further that it's limiting us, wherever the crews work hard with the resources we've got available.

Sorry if it came across that way. Yep horses for courses as you say.

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So, I spoke to soon, 10pf in Coldharbour Lane Rainham, 2 Ha of grass and deepseated landfill alight.

Before I get told off because it's only 2 Ha ?. This is Coldharbour Lane, infamous for the 15 & 20 pf's in the 90's.

  1. The place has no water, it has to be pumped in a relay from a pier on the river.
  2. They are shuttling meanwhile and trying to lay a relay
  3. Its got into the landfill underneath
  4. Its a Site of scientific special interest with salt marshes, environmental issues and the methane risk.
  5. It's hot and why wouldn't we anyway
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Doh, that's going to take some work, especially on a hot day like today.?

Do you guys use wetting agent for situations like this?

We're using it more and more to get the penetration, The EA are on board most of the time. Used at 0.2%.

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No, we've nothing that technical. I doubt we could afford it and like everything else in LFB change takes ages because of training and procurement.

On 23/06/2018 at 18:08, Messyshaw said:

5pf? Thats unusual Steve (in LFB)

Thats a standard high rise attendance now Messy, so if its  job and doesnt require extra the message will be "This is now a 5pf"

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Our service had a couple of small(ish) fires in the open this weekend. A large one up Salisbury Plain but not involved personally. It will be a matter of time until the heath goes up dragging in plenty of crews. 

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Yes I saw there was one up on the Moors that GMC and/or Lancashire were dealing with. Thankfully we have no such areas of vast open space within the GLA boundary... 2 sq km would take half of a suburb out with it... ?

It won't be long until you are all spraying your tea over your screens that we have 15 pumps dealing with 5 Ha  alight at Wanstead flats.....

 

But it is surrounded by £m's of real estate. ?

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Lincolnshire have had a few over the past few days which have been 4 or 5 pumps jobs.  Very dry in places and was a strong breeze earlier which would of fanned it well in the right places.

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Gearing up for a busy night tonight. Blues were out all night with Lancs County covering the area, bet they loved that. Whilst I didn’t go to the Saddleworth job, yesterday was the first shift in my career where we were literally chasing smoke at every call. My one o’clock lunch was postponed until 6.30.

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The army of service volunteers have been asked for their availability to assist. Not too sure of the role we will play but if it helps free up bods for the coal face or provide refreshments for the crews then great, that's what we're here for

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Sites are being assessed at the moment, 2 discounted but others ongoing. If they do then we will Chinook them in. We have done it before, coincidentally in the same area. ;)

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