Holme Fen blaze 'one of most significant fires our county has faced in many, many years' says Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue
The blaze at Holme Fen is 'one of most significant fires our county has faced in many, many years,' Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue has said.
The inferno has been raging since Saturday (August 8), and has seen scores of firefighters attending the scene over the past week.
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said the incident involves an area measuring around 60 football pitches and is deep seated in peat.
Crews have faced challenging conditions and have been working extremely hard over long periods of time to tackle the fire.
A change in the wind direction has meant the smell from the fire has been drifting towards Peterborough in the last couple of days.
Chief Fire Officer Matthew Warren said: “This has been one of the most significant fires our county has faced in many, many years. Our crews have been amazing in the face of gruelling conditions. Every station across the county has been at the site over the course of the week. Our Control operators have also done an exceptional job in making sure we maintain cover for other emergencies across the county and responding to 999 calls, both from our residents and for other busy services around the country.”
National Resilience response is supporting Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue at the incident, as well as local partners.
Matthew added: “We are extremely grateful to everyone that is pitching in to help. We’ve seen fire engines here from the length and breadth of the country pitching in to help us tackle the fire, and our partners have been pivotal in our response. We have also been inundated with refreshment and welfare support from residents and business from across the county. My sincere thanks goes out to everyone involved.”
Crews are expected to remain at the scene for the foreseeable future, as the fire is very complex and deep seated. There will be smoke visible due to the firefighting taking place, so residents that feel they are impacted should continue to keep doors and windows closed.
Politicians, including North West Cambridgeshire MP Sam Carling, Peterborough MP Andrew Pakes and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mayor Paul Bristow have all paid tribute to the crews at the scene.