For the best part of a week we had a presence up at Wessex Foods, just in case things kicked off again.
My last stint up there was last Tuesday, with my alerter having gone off just before 11am.
So, with a crew of four, we positioned ourselves outside the now desolate reception and offices. We were relieving Leiston who had been dealing with some troublesome hotspots on the roof above the canteen.
We took a proactive view on these hotspots and Mel with Greg forced open the fire door into the first floor canteen. This obviously introduced more oxygen and the smoke got thicker, rising from the roof edge. With the help of crowbars they were able to peel back some of the roof and direct a hosereel onto the smouldering interior.
It now seemed as though more smoke was issuing from the front of the building. To combat this more effectively than what we could achieve, the Hydraulic Platform from Yarmouth was moved around to us with me supplying them with water. That’s the first time I’ve had to supply an HP as they usually get fed from their own support pump (which was still there). But as we were already set into the hydrant it was decided that we should do the pumping. It was now a juggling act between keeping enough water in our tank (not over-running the supply) and giving enough pressure to the HP crew some 50ft above us. With a bit of tweaking and cross-border co-operation we managed to get a good jet over the dilapidated roof.
The HP crew suddenly headed for the ground at a rapid rate of knots having found themselves breathing in Ammonia that had suddenly appeared around them.
A hasty conference with the refrigeration engineers ensued with one of them going up in the cage to try to identify the source of the leak.
And before you knew it, our reliefs, in the shape of Aldeburgh, turned up.
We then beat a hasty retreat to Lowestoft South Fire Station to diesel up and snatch a quick cup of tea… Just as the tea arrived the turnout alarm sounded – the first time I’ve heard it and boy, does it sound odd. It’s a cross between a ships siren, a cat with its head stuck in a door and a distressed cow!
White Watch took out Ladder 1 and we heard them book mobile to Camps Heath, back on the north side of the river and our patch. With the nod from Dennis I radioed Control and booked us available, just in case White Watch wanted our help. Now for my cup of tea. As I savoured the hot, sweet brew, Neil Henderson’s voice cut across the airwaves with, “Assistance message from Lowestoft 01, make pumps two, thick smoke seen from Bridge Road”. So before they’d even got halfway to the incident and on seeing the smoke, Neil had, quite rightly, decided to get us rolling too.
Back at Lowestoft South we jumped aboard our trusty steed and started to pull out of the yard, just waiting for the Fire Priority message to come from Control. And sure enough, within seconds Dennis was answering the Fire Priority and booking us mobile to the incident.
It was now about quarter past four and the traffic was already busy, starting with the six-way roundabout right outside Lowestoft South. The roundabout was negotiated fairly quickly and then we headed towards Oulton Broad through the thickening traffic. Cotmer Road, running down to the Flying Dutchman pub was solid and so it was all the way down the outside before cutting in at the traffic lights. Now the traffic was backed up over the railway bridge and so edging forward on the opposite side of the road I was able to see the way clear and head around the queue to the Victoria Road roundabout. A few quick shimmies and we were through Oulton Broad and into Hall Road and ever closer to the pall of black smoke over Camps Heath.
After slowly picking my way down a dirt track we pulled up behind White Watch to see a large metal tank with flames shooting out of every orifice… This had been used as a paint store and was now in the process of being cut up. Sparks plus fumes equals flames and black smoke.
Andy Jackson on Ladder 1 got foam to work through the hosereels and I supplied our full tank to ensure they had enough water to finish the job.
And now we get to go home, finally getting in the door at half five… Oh, but it’s Drill Night tonight so another two hours with the Fire Service cleaning the fire engine and making sure we’ve got all the kit we should have after what has been an eventful few days…
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