Emergency services were called on Saturday morning (August 8) to the fire – and large numbers of firefighters from across Cambridgeshire – and further afield – have been on the scene ever since.
Crews, including the Peterborough Volunteer Fire Brigade, have been using a variety of tactics in a bid to bring the flames under control – including drafting in a helicopter from Airbourne Solutions to dump large amounts of water on the fire from above.
Smoke has been seen from miles around – and on Tuesday (August 11) Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said the fire was set to ‘burn for days.’
Area Commander Wayne Swales said: “Our crews continue to work really hard at the scene of this fire. It has been a significantly challenging incident and our firefighters have done a fantastic job today and over the weekend to try and bring it under control. We’ve also received fantastic support from services around the country. This is despite there being several other incidents ongoing, including a large fire at a recycling centre in Northamptonshire. At any one time there has been in excess of 80 firefighters and officers at the scene battling the conditions and the numerous hazards.
“We are working with other service and our multi-agency partners to plan for the coming week, as we anticipate we’ll need to maintain a large presence at the incident for most of the week. There will be smoke visible from considerable distances, however this is from the firefighting tactics we are having to deploy. This should not be confused with the thicker black smoke and smell that is coming from the incident in Northamptonshire. Those that think they might be impacted should keep their doors and windows closed as a precaution. We also urge people to continue to stay away from the area.
“I can reassure residents that we will be working hard to maintain our availability to respond to emergencies while this incident is ongoing. Although many of our fire engines will be at Holme Fen over the coming days, we will have others available to respond. In some cases we will have to prioritise depending on the nature of the emergency.
“Finally I just want to thank everyone for your patience and support so far. We’ve been inundated with lovely messages from people, which has been really appreciated. We hope to be able to bring this to a conclusion as soon as we can, but in the meantime we are grateful for all the support.”
North West Cambridgeshire MP Sam Carling has been among those to pay tribute to the crews, saying: “
“It’s incredibly sad to see another serious fire at Holme Fen, which is such a special part of our local environment.
I’m hugely grateful to the firefighters who have been working in extremely difficult conditions to bring the fire under control, as well as the local farmers who have stepped in to support their efforts.”
Residents are being urged to stay away from the scene while crews continue to work.
9. Holme Fen Fire
Crews have said they have the flames surrounded - but there is still a lot of work to do make the scene safe Photo: Peterborough Volunteer Fire Brigade
