Burnham-On-Sea firefighters have seen one of their busiest ever weeks as high temperatures and dry conditions trigger wildfires across the region, leading to a series of demanding call-outs.
Burnham’s crews began the week assisting with the major New Forest wildfires, spending two days as teams from across the South worked to contain fast‑spreading flames.
Burnham firefighters were also sent to a fire in the middle of the week in Culmhead between Taunton and Chard, joining crews from Taunton and Middlemoor. Less than a mile away, another large blaze was burning, drawing in further resources from both Devon and Somerset.
At the same time, Burnham’s second crew was sent to a similar incident in North Curry, adding to the already intense workload. The service has thanked its control staff for the difficult task of managing resources and moving appliances to ensure fire cover remained in place across the county.
On Thursday, Burnham crews made a cross‑border trip to Wales to support South Wales Fire and Rescue Service during huge wildfires there. Firefighters Craig, Jack, Ryan and Lili provided night-time cover in Cardiff while other Welsh crews tackled multiple fire incidents.
For much of their shift, the Burnham team was dealing with a fire inside a vehicle storage unit where several cars were well alight. The incident escalated quickly from a ‘make pumps 4’ due to challenges getting water to the fireground.
Back in Burnham, local crews ensured the town’s second appliance remained available throughout the night to maintain cover.
A spokesperson said this level of mutual aid is not common, but with services stretched across the UK by the prolonged dry weather, it has become essential to ensure communities continue to receive adequate fire cover.
