Tomorrow’s heat comes after a busy weekend for London’s firefighters who responded to 2,729 emergency calls between Friday and Sunday and attended 1,345 incidents across the capital
As the warm weather continues, London Fire Brigade had another busy weekend, with control officers handling 2,729 emergency calls between Friday and Sunday, while firefighters attended 1,345 incidents across the capital.
Saturday was the Brigade’s busiest day, with Control Officers taking 1,122 calls and crews responding to 473 incidents. These included a large fire at a block of flats in Mitcham and a grass fire which destroyed 10 acres in Rainham.
Other incidents attended over the weekend included: four fire engines responding to a basement fire in Aldwych, around one hectare of grassland alight in Croydon, 40 firefighters tackling a fire at a bakery in Dollis Hill, a flat fire in Tower Hamlets, and six fire engines responding to a flat fire in Shepherd’s Bush.
With more hot weather forecast over the coming days, the Brigade is urging Londoners to help prevent incidents by taking extra care when visiting parks, open spaces and waterways.
Assistant Commissioner Pam Oparaocha said: “This weekend was another busy period for our firefighters, control officers and logistics staff, and I’d like to thank them for their dedication and professionalism in keeping Londoners safe.
“Throughout this period of hot weather, we are continually monitoring demand and deploying our resources where they are needed most so that we’re ready to respond to emergencies across London.
“Our specialist terrain support vehicles are prepared to tackle grass and wildfire incidents, while our water rescue teams remain ready to respond to emergencies across London’s 370-miles of waterways.
“While we are fully prepared to respond, we need everyone to play their part in helping to prevent incidents. Wildfires in particular can spread rapidly, require significant resources and have devastating consequences for people, properties, wildlife and the environment.
“Wildfires can also have a lasting impact on the health of Londoners because of the smoke plumes that they produce.”If you’re heading to a park or open space to enjoy the sunshine, please don’t take a disposable barbecue with you. Even after they have been extinguished, they can retain heat for many hours and pose a serious fire risk.
“Please also dispose of smoking materials responsibly and either use the bins provided or take your litter home if there are none available. “If you’re having a barbecue at home, never use one on a balcony. Position it well away from fences, sheds and other combustible materials, and avoid placing it on wooden decking.”
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