Be alert - call us out
Over the past month we have been called out to a number of fires burning out in the open and at the Sandy Point Nature Reserve.

A large section of gorse was alight at the latter on October 10 and 24 hours later, passers-by dialled 999 when they spotted gorse alight on the Ferry Road, opposite Sinah Warren and our swift attendance prevented the blaze from getting out of control.

Most of these fires are being reported in the early hours of the evening so if you see anything suspicious we would appreciate the public to contact the police on the numbers below.

A garage door was set alight at the rear of Premier newsagents in Creek Road, at midnight on October 12.

Fire investigators were called for as the cause was doubtful and they used the specially- trained sniffer dog called Samson, from Hampshire Fire and Rescue to search for accelerants.

The investigation is still in progress. If you have any information about this incident, or any other fires you may spot, then report them to the police, on 0845 0454545 or, if necessary, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Hayling fire crews also attended a garden fire at Solent Drive, on October 2 when a large rubbish fire developed that was in danger of setting neighbouring trees alight.

The position of the fire was in very close proximity to the house.

When fire crews started to extinguish the fire there was an explosion from a aerosol can that had been placed on the fire, which caused a large amount of embers to be blown up into the air and across a large area of the garden and house.

This could have led to the house catching light if we had not been in attendance.

The incident highlights the dangers of having rubbish fires in your garden.

If you are going to burn rubbish, please only burn small amounts at a time and make sure it is away from your property and any neighbouring trees/hedges.

It also may be worth considering buying a metal dustbin to do your rubbish burning in, and most importantly have a means of extinguishing the fire on hand.

Not all the calls we answer are from Hayling.
Our firefiighers were called to help out at Creech Farm, Denmead, as relief crews at midnight on October 9, to help deal with a large farm fire that had broken out earlier in the evening.

The incident involved a large building containing 350 tonnes of hay which was on fire. We helped contain and extinguish the blaze along with 10 other appliances from across the county.


Long-service medals
IT brings me great pleasure in announcing that watch manager Mark Pannell and firefighter Trevor Tibble have received their 20-year service medals.

In a ceremony evening held at Hayling Island Fire Station on October 12, they were presented with medals by Havant's general manager Ian Gray.

After the presentation there was a buffet laid on by the fire-fighters to celebrate this momentous occasion.

Watch manager Mark Pannell, who runs a painting and decorating business on the Island, has been responding to various incidents over the past 20 years.

He has managed to progress through the ranks to now become the officer-in-charge at Hayling's station.

And Trevor Tibble, or TT as he likes to be referred to, runs a landscape gardening business on Hayling.

He has seen many changes and different types of incidents during his time as a retained fireman.

Their experience is invaluable not only to there community but also to their colleagues.

So I hope you join me in this opportunity to congratulate them both on their achievements.