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Dry weather warning during fire strike in Wales | Dry weather warning during fire strike in Wales |
(about 9 hours later) | |
Fire chiefs warned the public to take extra care in the dry weather, as the sunny spells coincided with the latest firefighters' strike. | |
The action took place between 1000 and 1700 BST as part of an ongoing national dispute over pension reforms. | |
People were urged to take care with barbecues and warned of the risk of accidentally starting grass fires. | |
The Welsh government said it was working with the fire authorities to minimise the impact of the strikes. | The Welsh government said it was working with the fire authorities to minimise the impact of the strikes. |
South Wales Fire and Rescue urged vigilance and issued safety advice, while North Wales Fire and Rescue warned because of the circumstances "services may be limited". | South Wales Fire and Rescue urged vigilance and issued safety advice, while North Wales Fire and Rescue warned because of the circumstances "services may be limited". |
Before the strike, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said it had a number of staff who were not FBU-affiliated who would work as usual. It urged people to dial 999 in an emergency. | |
Assistant chief fire officer Rob Quin said: "During the summer grass and mountains can become very dry which means if you deliberately or accidentally start a fire outdoors it will spread very quickly destroying everything in its path. | Assistant chief fire officer Rob Quin said: "During the summer grass and mountains can become very dry which means if you deliberately or accidentally start a fire outdoors it will spread very quickly destroying everything in its path. |
"A lot of people will be thinking about having a barbecue over the weekend and you need to make sure you have it in a suitable and safe area, never leave unattended and always extinguish properly." | "A lot of people will be thinking about having a barbecue over the weekend and you need to make sure you have it in a suitable and safe area, never leave unattended and always extinguish properly." |
The fire service also warned motorists to be vigilant on the roads, in a week in which four members of a family were killed in a tanker crash on the A44 between Llangurig in Powys and Ponterwyd in Ceredigion. | The fire service also warned motorists to be vigilant on the roads, in a week in which four members of a family were killed in a tanker crash on the A44 between Llangurig in Powys and Ponterwyd in Ceredigion. |
After the seven-hour strike, the service said it had attended nine incidents, including a fire and a flood. | |
Assistant Chief Fire Officer Richie Prendergast said he was pleased with how South Wales Fire and Rescue Service had managed its services. | |
"As expected, the number of firefighters from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service who chose to strike was high, which resulted in a large reduction in the resources that we had at our disposal. | |
'Constructive meetings' | 'Constructive meetings' |
"As such, we were unable to provide the same high level of response to incidents as we normally would and as a consequence prioritised our response to those in most critical need." | |
The FBU was taking part in its 14th strike since last September. It wants firefighters to be allowed to retire earlier than other workers from the physically demanding job. | |
Matt Wrack, general secretary called for a "more affordable, workable and fair pension scheme than is currently on offer" for Wales and England. | Matt Wrack, general secretary called for a "more affordable, workable and fair pension scheme than is currently on offer" for Wales and England. |
The Welsh government said it was committed to collective pensions arrangements which follow similar approaches to those being taken elsewhere in the UK. | The Welsh government said it was committed to collective pensions arrangements which follow similar approaches to those being taken elsewhere in the UK. |
"We continue to work with the three fire and rescue authorities on contingency plans to minimise the impact this strike will have on Wales," said a spokesman. | "We continue to work with the three fire and rescue authorities on contingency plans to minimise the impact this strike will have on Wales," said a spokesman. |