South Yorkshire firefighters doing a 'fantastic job' as recent rise in 'avoidable' blazes drains resources
“These are avoidable fires that if people follow our guidelines, we can hopefully prevent”
A fire chief has said that a recent spate of grassfires is having a “massive pull on resources” as the service issues a safety plea to help avoid further problems.
Over the past week alone, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue have responded to at least 10 incidents, seven of which were grassfires that occurred over a single weekend.
It has meant firefighters are working around-the-clock to deal with blazes as they pop up across the region, with all thankfully brought under control before a more serious wildfire erupts.
However, as dry and hot weather continues, there are serious concerns about how these blazes will continue to cause problems.
“It’s been a massive pull on resources,” station manager Dan Nortfcliffe said.
“There have been times where the majority of fire engines have been attending incidents, which then has knock on effect.
“If for example we’re attending wildfires and there’s a road traffic collision or a house fire that needs us, our resources are tied up.”
There are also less visible impacts for the service, as call centres are strained by dozens of people reporting grassfires, while crews are unable to support neighbouring services who are also struggling during the recent heatwave.
The volume of incidents has prompted the service to release a number of safety warnings over the weekend, including a tongue-in-cheek Facebook post wishing for rain this Yorkshire Day.
And Dan says that the ultimately, most of these fires could have been avoided.
“These are avoidable fires that if people follow our guidelines, we can hopefully prevent,” he added.
The service is asking people to avoid taking out disposable barbeques, not light campfires and properly dispose of cigarettes.
They have also told people to not litter, especially glass bottles as they can magnify heat from the sun.
Dan said that “people having fires or burning refuse in their gardens” is another regular issue.
“It does happen quite a lot, probably more than what people think,” he added.
“So people have just cleared the house out, clear the garden, they’re burning leaves off, and that spreads.”
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Sheffield families recently saw the devastating impacts fires can have when on July 23 a blaze tore through a terraced block of flats on Fox Hill Road, with dozens evacuated in the middle of the night while one father says he “lost everything from my children’s upbringing” while fearing his home may be torn down due to the damage.
On a daily basis now, firefighters are putting their lives on the line to ensure these blazes are as contained as they possibly can be and their incredible efforts have so far helped avoid any serious injuries or fatalities.
“If I'm honest, the crews need praising,” Dan added.
“All the fire crews in South Yorkshire are doing an absolutely fantastic job. They are managing, how they are managing I don’t know, but they are managing to do it.”
While they are battling through the increased demand, Dan admits that there are incidents of “fatigue.”
“If somebody's working hard for four hours there's nobody else that can come and say ‘actually you've had four hours you can go and have your break time’,” he continued.
“It is a case of saying ‘I'm really sorry there's no more resources. You're stuck at that job for the duration of your 11 hour shift or a 15 hour night shift’.”
The service is encouraging people to follow their social media sites or join the Whatsapp group, to keep up to date on the latest incidents as they continue to work behind the scenes to ensure crews are available for whatever incident may arise.