Heat causing 'extreme demand', says fire service
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue ServiceRecent prolonged hot weather is putting "extreme demand" on firefighters, according to a fire chief.
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said it was called to more than 120 incidents between Friday last week and Monday this week, about a quarter more than for the same dates in the past three years.
"Friday to Monday saw us mobilise 172 fire appliances to a number of large-scale incidents… putting extreme demand on our resources that we have available to respond to these incidents," said assistant chief fire officer Stuart Smith.
He urged people to be mindful of risks which could cause fires and thanked local farmers for helping to provide extra water to tackle flames.
"There's lots of open space across Cambridgeshire and we want people to enjoy that space, but we want them to do it safely," he told Dotty McLeod on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.
His advice included not leaving litter in parks, parents educating their children about how quickly fires can spread, and avoiding using disposable barbecues.
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Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue ServiceAmong the major incidents over the past few days are a fire at the Holme Fen nature reserve, south of Peterborough, which broke out on Monday and is continuing to burn.
Smith said crews were expected to remain at the scene for at least another two to three days.
"We would ask the public to remain vigilant in that area and where they can stay away so we can continue our firefighting operations," he said.
The fire service previously said the fire was difficult to tackle because it was "deep-seated in peat".
It said firefighters were also continuing to deal with another peat fire in nearby Whittlesey.
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