Melton firefighters deployed after 'major incident' declared in Nottinghamshire
Firefighters from Melton Mowbray were deployed to emergencies in Nottinghamshire after a ‘major incident’ was declared in that county on Sunday.
The status, which was rescinded on Monday night, relates to the cumulative impact of multiple incidents placing significant pressure on operational resources, rather than a single incident in isolation.
It came at a time when Melton firefighters have been responding to an unusually high number of call-outs – with more than 80 attended to in July.
Leicestershire crews have also assisted Suffolk colleagues fighting wildfires in a coastal area in recent days.
The high sustained temperatures and shortage of rainfall has led to many rural areas and fields being under threat of fires breaking out.
A spokesperson for Leicestershire & Rutland Fire & Rescue Service said: “No sooner had we returned from helping our colleagues at Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service tackle the devastating blaze in Dunwich Heath, we were on our travels again.
"Over the weekend, crews from Melton Mowbray, Castle Donington, Wigston and Uppingham supported colleagues at major incidents in both Nottinghamshire and Cambridgeshire.
“This cross‑border assistance is vital in ensuring communities receive a safe and effective emergency response during a period of significant demand.
"It's times like these that the commitment and professionalism of all our firefighters stands out, not only from those attending, but all who step up at home - including our on-call teams who make themselves available at short notice.
“We continue to have a robust and effective operational capability in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland but, in moments of need, our nation's fire services respond and assist where they can, knowing full well that sooner or later, they'll be the ones who need help.”
Announcing the lifting of the ‘major incident’ over the border, Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service said on Tuesday: “Huge thank you to colleagues at South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service who supported us in dealing with the large volume of challenging incidents and enabled us to resolve them quicker.
“Thanks also to our fantastic firefighters who have been working tirelessly in hot conditions, like many across the country, for some weeks now.”