Long, hot summer brings own dangers
STATION officer MARK PANNELL reports on a busy month for the retained fire crews at Hayling Island Fire Station.
WHILE nearly everyone who lives by the sea can only enjoy the recent hot summer weather, unfortunately it does bring its own seasonal problems for our crews to deal with.
I have been a member of the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service for some 20 years and regardless of hot the summer gets – and after the last two years of rain, it is easy to forget what a real one is like – some members of the community cannot resist getting up to mischief and starting fires deliberately.
In the past fortnight alone, we have been called out five times to fires burning among the gorse along the sea front, and particularly around Staunton Avenue.
We had to send 12 firefighters to deal with one such deliberately started fire on June 23, at around 5.30pm.
It took around 90 minutes to deal with the incident, yet no sooner had we returned to the station in Elm Grove, than we received another 999 call from a member of the public saying another fire had been started in the same area.
Luckily, swift action from members of the public prevented the fire getting out of control before we arrived.
Most of these fires are being reported in the early part of the evening so if you see anything suspicious, I would appeal to the public to contact the police.
And if you see any evidence of a fire or burning then to call us – it is better to be safe than sorry.
Equally, if you have any information about such deliberate acts of criminal damage and arson, then please report them to the police, on 0845 045045 and if necessary call Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555111.
The spate of hot weather and, so far, lack of rain, means that large areas of the Island are now very dry and increasingly vulnerable.
Not all such fires as I have described are started deliberately. Some happen out of carelessness – a discarded cigarette being the most common cause – and some are just accidents.
So I appeal to the public to think about fire safety when they are out and about enjoying the hot weather.
I also have a special appeal to keen gardeners. We were called to a house in Havant Road, just after 9am, on June 25, when an unattended bonfire set light to a boundary headge of leylandi trees, which was largely destroyed.
It is common sense that if you are getting rid of garden waste in a bonfire, you must keep guard at all times, and have a hose handy in case it starts to get out of control.
Always start such fires away from other combustible objects, such as fences, sheds, greenhouses, garages and obviously your home.
Always consider the wind direction and strength. But I would urge people if they have waste that can be recycled, take it to the household waste centre in Fishery Lane.
And if the material cannot be disposed of that way, do not have a bonfire in the current dry spell – wait at least until a spell of rain reduces the tinder-dry state of many gardens at present.
If the long, hot summer predicted materialises, I hope I want have to report any more problems.
Fire station open day
On a happier note, I can confirm that the station's annual open day will take place, on Saturday August 15, from 10am-4pm.
We will have the turntable ladder appliance from Southsea as well as our two engines.
Firefighters will put on displays of their skills during the day to show how we deal with fires and traffic accidents.
We will also have a mobile kitchen fire display warning householders about the dangers of chip pans.
There will be plenty of stalls – including one selling toys such as fire engines and firemen figures, which will raise money for the Firefighters Charity – our old Benevolent Fund.
You will have the chance to dunk a firefighter – plenty of water and hoses on hand for that!
Entry is free and there will be a barbecue and refreshments – we would love to see you.
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Weather for Hayling
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: -4 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: -5 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: East
