By Henry Harington
If you had warned me that a straw bailer could burst into flames and explode several times in the field next to my garden, injuring the tractor driver who was trying to detach it from his tractor, I would have taken it with a pinch of salt! But that is of course exactly what happened last year in Luccombe. And we were fortunate the driver’s injuries were not worse and that the burning bailer did not ignite the field and hence the hedge and that that did not start a fire in the forest above the village and destroy acres of moorland or burn down houses.
A bit of a disaster scenario? Well, not really. People who have lived in Luccombe for some years recall when the houses in Stoney Street had to be evacuated and the thatched properties hosed down as a fire in Luccombe wood threatened the village.
Accidents do happen and this post seeks to serve two purposes: firstly, to raise awareness of the fire risk to the village. Climate change is resulting in hotter summers and tinder-dry moor and secondly to invite you to “have your say” to Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service that is seeking advice on the risks our communities face at http://bit.ly/haveyoursayCRMP
People in Luccombe will recall that in 2019 a campaign by locals, including a protest at Porlock Fire Station prevented a plan to close that valuable local facility. By highlighting the risks to which you think the village and this area may be subject and responding to the Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service invitation you will be helping to justify the protest and the stay of execution that was achieved by it.
Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service say:
We are developing our new Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) which will run from April 2022 until 2027.
This will replace our current Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP) and Fire and Rescue Plan.
The CRMP will ensure that we can continue to provide an effective and efficient fire and rescue service that remains focused on preventing incidents from happening but also has the right resources in place to respond to an emergency when required.
Before developing the draft CRMP, we are gathering views from people and partners across Devon and Somerset. These views will give us an understanding of what you feel are local risks that we need to consider as well as perceptions of the fire and rescue service and its role within our counties.
We will consult on the draft plan later in the year to check whether the information we’ve captured has been accurately represented in the plan.
If you know someone who would like to take part, but who struggles to access online content, they can let us know by calling 01392 261287.
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