Dagenham grass fire: 125 firefighters tackle blaze as homes evacuated
Twenty fire engines were called as a grass wildfire broke out in a city.
Firefighters had to tackle a fire of around eight hectares of grass, shrubland and trees, as well as fences and garden furniture which went up after the dry weather. Some homes were evacuated as a precaution.
There were 125 firefighters at the scene.
Station Commander Matt Hayward said: "Firefighters worked extremely hard to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby properties. The fire had reached some garden fences, sheds and garden furniture. As well as our jets, we used wildfire beaters to beat the flames and stop them from reaching the properties.”
About 125 firefighters were called to the fire, which was behind Clemence Road in Dagenham, east London. It broke out at about 6.30pm yesterday wand was under control by 9.45pm. The cause is being investigated.
London Fire Brigade said: “A wildfire response vehicle was deployed to the incident. These vehicles provide off-road capability enabling the transportation of additional equipment closer to fires on open ground. Each vehicle carries approximately 475 litres of water, a backpack blower, ear defenders, beaters and misting lance technology, which allows firefighters to pump water and drive, enabling them to tackle grass fires more quickly and safely. The Brigade is currently trialling four wildfire response vehicles across the capital.”
Mr Hayward added: “We also thank Barking and Dagenham Council who had put fire breaks in place, which helped stop the fire from reaching the properties. We also had great support from our blue light colleagues, Essex Fire and Rescue Service and the London Ambulance Service Hazardous Area Response Team.”