London Fire Brigade is helping Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service fight a forest fire near Ascot.
The Brigade has been at the scene of the fire since Monday evening. Currently, five of the Brigade's fire engines and two high volume pumps which can pump up to 8,000 litres of water a minute, are helping tackle the blaze in Swinley Forest. Firefighters from Berkshire, Surrey, Oxfordshire, Hampshire and London are at the scene. The fires are spread over an area of about two square kilometres.
Heston Station Manager Seth Why said: “Our firefighters are working with their colleagues in the other fire and rescue services to stop the fire from spreading. It’s been hard work but crews are doing a fantastic job in what are extremely smoky and arduous conditions.”
Berkshire firefighters were first called to a fire in the forest on Saturday evening. This was brought under control but on Monday a further two fires broke out. Crews from a number of London stations have been called in to help on a rotating basis. Stations sending fire engines include Southall, Wembley, Heston, Kingston, Northolt, Harrow, Ruislip, Richmond, Surbiton, Sutton, Hammersmith, Hayes, Hillingdon and Chiswick.
