Busy Bank Holiday weekend for Axminster Fire Station

It was a busy Bank Holiday weekend for Axminster Fire Station, with three call-outs in two days, including a fire of household waste, a road traffic collision, and a car hanging precariously over a steep drop. 

The first call came on the morning of Sunday, May 1 when the Axminster crew were mobilised to reports of a fire and plenty of smoke in a field on the outskirts of Axminster. 

Once in attendance, it was confirmed that a large fire of household rubbish and general waste in the corner of a field was starting to spread to the surrounding hedgerow and trees. 

The crew got to work using an attack jet to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading further. However, due to the rural location with the nearest fire hydrant being over half a mile away, assistance was requested from Colyton Fire Station. 

Once in attendance, the Colyton engine was used as a water relay appliance and the fire was successfully extinguished. 

A second call-out of the day came after reports of a two-vehicle crash on the A358, just outside of Tatworth, near Axminster. 

Axminster's crew was mobilised along with Ilminster and a heavy rescue unit from Yeovil Fire Station. 

On arrival, crews got to work stabilising the vehicle with the casualty inside so paramedics could make an assessment. Whilst this was ongoing, fire crews also made the second vehicle involved safe. 

They then assisted the ambulance service extricating the casualty from the vehicle and transferred them to the awaiting air ambulance, which then transported them to hospital. 

Crews then made the second vehicle involved safe. The casualty was left in the hands of ambulance personnel and the duty of care of the scene was left with police.

On Bank Holiday Monday, crews were called to the rescue of a driver whose car was hanging precariously over a steep drop in Uplyme following an accident. 

Lyme Regis and Axminster crews were called to the scene near the top of Cathole Lane at 10.50am.

A member of the public reported that a vehicle had left the road and was hanging over an embankment with a steep drop below, with a person still in the car.

An aerial ladder platform from Yeovil Fire Station, a specialist rescue team from Bridgwater and an appliance from Danes Castle Fire Station in Exeter were also mobilised.

On scene, crews confirmed the car was in a precarious position but fortunately the occupant of the vehicle, although shaken, had made it to safety uninjured.

Fire crews made the scene safe and handed duty of care over to the police, who were also on scene. The driver of the vehicle had organised his own recovery.