Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service is tackling a vehicle fire in Freshwater Bay this morning (Thursday). 2 appliances from Newport have been mobilised to The Square, off Gate Lane. Island Echo is told that smoke is billowing as firefighters work to contain and extinguish the car blaze, which has broken out on a driveway. The incident began at around 08:25. Freshwater Fire Station has not responded to the incident, with the nearest pump being 11 miles away in Newport.
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You might as well close the retained fire stations on the island and turn them into something useful like housing.
They rarely respond so why pay for the upkeep of the buildings and appliances.
The 2 nearest available fire engines to Freshwater had to come from Newport! It does make you wonder what the level of fire cover is for the island. If another incident occurred in Brightstonr at the same time I wonder which would be the next nearest fire engine and how long it would take to get there! A very long time I should imagine and way beyond the target the service sets itself.
Freshwater Fire Station has not responded to the incident, with the nearest pump being 11 miles away in Newport.
This is getting beyond a joke now how long till someone dies again sort it out Hampshire and Isle of Wight fire service.
Rather than moaning, maybe you should become a retained fire fighter to help out and ensure that sufficient crew can be called out to respond to emergencies.
This is not the HIWfire fault we don’t have enough firefighter as companies are not prepared to let them go to help their local community at time of need. (Profit before helping the community comes first with them.)
it does seem a little bizzare that Freshwater’s pump was in Newport,,..
but there were two from Newpoet that were able to attend ….
Idiot mate clueless *@#* clearly know nothing
Another fossil fuel car fire, it’s always one of these dinosaurs. Should be banned from the ferries. Very dangerous.
Fossil fuel? Dinosaur comment
It’ll all be fine once Labour get in….
The fire appliances will all be repainted in LBGT colours and I hear they may supply a fairy for the top of the Xmas tree in Newport…
What’s more worrying is if Freshwater didn’t attend due to not having cover DURING THE DAY what stations actually have cover at night? Just Newport and Ryde I’m guessing?
Guaranteed yes Newport and not to long till Ryde 24 hrs this will probably mean shutting retained stations to part fund it ,East Cowes For one And others to follow .
As for west Wight being without fire cover is appalling irrespective if the retained can’t get a crew there should be a standby crew out that way covering, im hopeful should there be a fatality the fire authorities would get their asses whipped to say the least
Bring back the isle of wight fire and rescue service as being merged with Hampshire isn’t working.
Two stations in west wight with no cover. What would of happened if it was a life risk incident?
Newport and Ryde and hope Cowes and ventnor stations have crew?
Ryde applances will get stuck on fairlee road.
If Newport were out elsewhere would we be getting Lymington?
Would love to know what cover the island has on any given day and compare it to what we is required as an island.
A bit bizarre that the owner of the car was fighting the fire service off and was telling the fire fighters to ‘F’ off…. Hence why the police were initially called to intervene…
Reading the comments on this story it would appear that the owner did not want the fire brigade there due to members of the fire brigade harassing the car owner for the past five years.
The police were called because it was arson, not because of the owner trying to protect himself from these firemen
Surely if the car owner had been harassed by fire service personnel they would have been disciplined?
Why would they harass him?
It seems highly unlikely.
I should think that it’s more likely a case of two people with mental health issues clashing.
It’s all very sad.
Mud sticks, people have a long memory. Including fire fighters…
All these uneducated comments! You do realise if it’s your house on fire they will be there yet here you are slating them? The government over the years have made cuts upon cuts to minimise spending. At whose expense? Not their lives, yours. Read that again. Your life not theirs. Chris you may not realise the truth but hopefully you see the bigger picture. Support the ones that will run into hell for you not slate them. Hope you never need them
Is there any news about the people involved?
I hope everyone is ok