Firefighters battling the elements through storm to keep people safe

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service has been to hundreds of incidents over the weekend, many relating to Storm Dennis.

Crews from across the county were called to reports of flooding and people trapped in their vehicles due to either flood water or objects falling as a result of the weather conditions.

Firefighters were called more than 170 times to flooding incidents including the A38 at the Burrows turn off in Lichfield on Sunday 16 February where there was more than a million litres of water on the southbound side of the carriageway.

The Service also attended the A38 in Burton-on-Trent yesterday (February 18) in Branston which was closed in both directions due to more than five million litres of water. The southbound side of the road reopened this morning (19 February) but the northbound lanes remain closed.

Crews worked closely with Highways England and Staffordshire Police to close off the area and keep residents as safe as possible.

Firefighters visited Horsebrook Manor Lane in Brewood where the water from a nearby stream was entering a home and threatening to damage the electrics. The crew rescued a woman and her dog from the property at around 2am on Sunday (February 16).

Stafford firefighters rescued two people from a mobility car on Station Drive, Four Ashes at 4pm on Sunday after the pair became trapped as the water reached up to the car door.

At 3pm on the same day crews from Ipstones attended an incident where a house had been struck by lightning on Delphouse Road in Ipstones causing a fire to start in the bedroom. The occupier was given oxygen therapy by the firefighters to treat smoke inhalation.

Group Manager Bob Preston said: “We cannot stress enough how dangerous it is to attempt to drive through flood water. It is incredibly difficult to determine how deep water is and whether your car will make it through. It does not take that much for your car to become stuck and as soon as water begins to affect the electrics of the vehicle the doors can lock and you can become trapped. Please do not take the risk if the road is flooding and ask yourself if your journey is really necessary.

“Although the storms are now passing we would still advise you do whatever you can to keep water away from your home and only call us if there a threat to yourself or the electrics of your home. This means we are able to help those that are really instead. You can protect your home by placing sand bags around points of entry and sweeping water away.

“Crews are extremely busy working to pump water way from buildings where it poses a threat and to clear road ways to minimise the danger to the public as well attending other unforeseen incidents. Therefore please only call the emergency service in a genuine emergency.”