Herts farmers join forces with firefighters to help tackle blazes
They're trialling an adaptor which will allow firefighters to plug their engines into farmer's water supplies
Last updated 5th Aug 2022
Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue are teaming up with local farmers to tackle field fires that have been breaking out across the county during the heatwave.
The farmers are being dubbed 'the league of extraordinary farmers’ by fire control room staff, as they help protect crops and residential properties by putting in fire breaks and getting water to engines.
Assistant Chief Fire Officer Simon Tuhill said, "the unseen implication of some of this is the impact it has on farmer's fields. So when these fields catch alight it causes tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage to their crop."
One of the major obstacles the fire service has encountered when tackling field fires is water availability. Until now, there was no way of getting water from farmer's bowsers and sprays directly to fires engines due to a difference in connectors.
But 60 adaptors are now being rolled out across the county which will allow firefighters direct access to water supplies from farmer's bowsers and water tanks.
As a result, precious time will be gained back, as well as additional water resources which will help bring fast-moving field fires under control.
Mr. Tunhill added, "as you can imagine, most of these fires when they occur in fields are a long, long way away from any water supplies and one of the chief challenges our firefighters have is getting water onto the fires."
Recently, the new connector was put to the test at a farm in Much Hadham, where it allowed firefighters to rapidly refill their engine's 1,600 litre tank.
And as well as working with the farmers to gain access to their water supplies, Mr. Tuhill also notes, "we may use their tractors and ploughs to create a firebreak. So, by ploughing a part of the field that hasn't caught alight yet and turning over the crop into earth, the fire then can't spread to the rest of the field."