More than 80 firefighters tackle huge blaze at Holme Nature Reserve
More than 80 firefighters have been tackling a huge fire at Holme Nature Reserve in Peterborough.
Emergency services were called at 10.24am on Saturday, August 8 to Holme Fen in Holme.
Firefighters from Dogsthorpe, Stanground, the north roaming fire engine, Whittlesey, Huntingdon, Thorney, St Neots, Ramsey and Sawston, along with the water carrier from Ramsey, a specialist 4x4 vehicle from Thorney, and a crew from Oundle in Northamptonshire attended the incident.
A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said crews have been working extremely hard in sectors to get the fire under control and stop it from spreading. They have been using equipment such as beaters to control and extinguish the fire.
The fire is now surrounded, good progress has been made, and crews are continuing to work to extinguish it. The fire is deep seated in peat so will take some time to fully extinguish.
The teams worked throughout Saturday and Sunday, and are still on site on Monday.
On Monday morning, the spokesperson said: “Crews remained on scene overnight working incredibly hard to tackle the large fire in sectors.
“They will continue to work on extinguishing the fire today Monday (10).
“Please do continue to stay away from the area so crews can carry out their work as safely as possible.”
Crews have also been grateful to the help received from residents living near by during the operation.
The spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Thank you to all the farmers and members of the public who have offered water to help us with the ongoing incident at Holme Fen.
“As it stands, we have enough water and bowsers for our firefighters to continue tackling this incident, and do not require further water at this time.”
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.