Fire Service called to 250 weather-related incidents

Latest figures show that 26 people were rescued from 16 cars at separate incidents across Devon and Somerset last night.

The 250 calls responded to by Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service also included 26 unsafe structures and 35 flooding calls, including calls to many multiple properties in the same area.

Area Manager Phil Martin said that people were gambling with their lives if they chose to drive through floodwater.

He said: “Your car can float in as little as 30cm of water and it takes much less than that to knock someone off their feet.

“People must ask themselves, is it worth gambling with your car and maybe even your life to take the shortest route home rather than take a detour on a safer journey.

“Floodwater can cause significant and expensive damage to your car but it can also cost the lives of you and the people with you.”

Area Manager Martin also reminded motorists that while the Service responds to save life in emergencies, it does not recover vehicles stranded in floodwater afterwards.

“Please keep up to date with weather forecasts for your area and check on older relatives, friends and neighbours,” he added.

The main weather-related incidents last night were:

Somerset  23/12/13
11:40  St Cleers Way, Somerton - Dangerous structure made safe.
12:11  Between Othery and Aller - Dangerous structure made safe.
12:48  Eastover, Bridgwater - Dangerous structure made safe.
13:11  Barwick, Yeovil - Occupants led to safety from car in flood water.
13:13  East Street, Ilminster - Dangerous structure made safe.
13:29  East Reach, Taunton - Dangerous structure made safe.
13:42  East Coker - Dangerous structure made safe.
13:47  Gassons Lane, Somerton - Dangerous structure made safe.
13:50  Sparkford, Yeovil - Dangerous structure made safe.
13:57  Wessex Road, Yeovil - Flooding inside property made safe.
14:02   Corfe Hill, Otterford,Chard - Dangerous structure made safe.
14:14   May Pole Knap, Somerton - Flooding inside property made safe. 
14:27   Ash, Martock - Dangerous structure made safe.
15:51   B3170, Shoreditch, Taunton - One person rescued from car in flood water
15:48  Broadway Road, Ilminster - One person rescued from car in flood water.
15:57  Yeovil Road, East Coker, Yeovil - Fire crews made attempts to divert rising floodwater away from flooded property.
16:10  Stoke St Michael, near Shepton Mallet - Flooding inside property made safe.
16:19  Wrantage, North Curry - Flooding inside property made safe.
16:20  Stoford, near Yeovil - Flooding inside property made safe.
16:24  Wells Road, Norton St Philip, near Frome - Flooding inside property made safe.
16:43  Upton Noble, near Shepton Mallet - Flooding inside property made safe.
16:56  Yeovil - Elderly female rescued from inside flooded property to a place of safety.
17:01  A38 Willowbrook Garden Centre, near Wellington - Two elderly persons stuck in car in floodwater removed to place of safety.
17:09  Stocks Lane, Stewley, Ashill - One person rescued from roof of car in floodwater.
17:35  Wrantage, North Curry - Flooding inside property made safe.
17:44  A378 Wrantage, North Curry - Two persons rescued from vehicle in floodwater.
18:10  Crock Street, Donyatt, Ilminster - One person locked in van in floodwater rescued from vehicle.
18:13  A378 Wrantage, North Curry - Flooding inside property made safe

Devon  23/12/13
10:14  Victoria Road, Dartmouth  - Dangerous structure made safe.
10:26  Cross Street, Seaton - Dangerous structure made safe.
11:28  Lower Saltram, Oreston, Plymstock - Dangerous structure made safe.
11:31  Marine Drive, Paignton - Dangerous structure made safe.
11:44  Exeter Street, Bretonside, Plymouth - Dangerous structure made safe.
11:44  Southernhay West, City, Exeter - Dangerous structure made safe.
11:52  Albert Road, Devonport, Plymouth - Dangerous structure made safe.
11:44  Southernhay West, City, Plymouth - Dangerous structure made safe.
11:47   Stevenstone Road, Exmouth - Flooding inside property made safe
12:04  Old Laira Raod, Laira, Plymouth - Dangerous structure made safe.
12:19 The Broadway, Plymstock - Flooding inside property made safe.
12:25  Kitbridge, Chardstock, Axminster - Dangerous structure made safe.
12:27  Warberry Road West, Torquay - Dangerous structure made safe.
12:28  Turner Avenue, Exmouth - Dangerous structure made safe.
12:30  Haddington Road, Stoke, Plymouth - Dangerous structure made safe.
12:31  Grenadier Road, Exeter - Dangerous structure made safe.
13:33  Appledore Road, Appledore - Three persons rescued from car in floodwater.
13:49   Hopton Close, Plymouth - Dangerous strucutre made safe.
13:56   High Street, Honiton - Dangerous structure made safe.
16:00   Staplehill Road, Liverton, Newton Abbot - One car driven into floodwater.  Fire crews confirmed floodwater receding and occupant now remaining in vehicle to await recovery.
16:49   Blackaller, North Bovey - Floodwater from River Bovey, which has burst its banks, diverted away from domestic properties.
17:01   Lamerton, near Tavistock - Flooding diverted away from domestic properties.
17:16  Langford Bridge, Honiton - Disabled passenger and driver of vehicle assisted from vehicle in floodwater.
17:20  Whimple, Exeter - Family with car in floodwater given assistance.
18:56  Clifford Bridge, Dunsford, Exeter - Elderly female stuck in car in floodwater rendered assistance.

Somerset 24/12/13
00:02 hrs - Mells, near Frome - Fire crews unable to assist with rising floodwater inside property but assisted with salvage.
00:11 hrs - Mill Lane, Stoke St Michael, Shepton Mallet - Floodwater inside property pumped out.
00:15 hrs - Bilbrook, Old Cleeve - Vehicles stranded in floodwater but no persons stuck inside vehicles.
00:41 hrs - Langport Road, Long Sutton, Langport - Floodwater inside property made safe.
00:47 hrs - Main Street, Walton, Street - Salvage assistance rendered for property affected by floodwater.
01:18 hrs - Eames Mill, Ashwell, Ilminster - Floodwater affecting property from burst river.  Fire crews assisted with salvage.
01:26 hrs - White Post, Stratton On The Fosse, Shepton Mallet - Fire crews pumped out water from the basement of a church.
01:54 hrs - Upton, Long Sutton - Fire crews pumped out floodwater from property.
02:09 hrs - Shaftesbury Road, Henstridge, Templecombe - Fire crews dammed and stemmed flow of floodwater into ground floor of property.  Fire crews made attempts to pump large volumes of floodwater away from property.  Fire crews requested the attendance of Police for traffic control at this incident.
02:38 hrs - Steanbow, Pilton - Fire crews pumped out water from around property and carried out salvage in property affected by floodwater.
03:07 hrs - Station Road, Ilminster - Two properties affected by floodwater, fire crews pumped away water to try to alleviate flood damage into an adjacent drainage ditch.  The British Red Cross Fire and Emergency Support Services team also attended this incident to offer assistance.
04:38 hrs - Kilkenny Lane, Wraxhall, Ditcheat - Fire crews made attempts to pump water from a property and reduce floodwater levels but operations had to cease due to the volume of water coming from an adjacent field.  Fire crew assisted occupants with salvage.
05:03 hrs - Wagg Drove, Langport - Fire crews pumped water from property affected by flooding.
06:40 hrs - North Street, Ilminster - Fire crews pumped two foot of floodwater from the cellar of a property

Devon 24/12/13
00:26 hrs - Blackaller, North Bovey - Fire crews carried out extensive pumping to remove floodwater from inside property.
00:40 hrs - Running Moor Lane, Hatherleigh - Fire crews diverted water away from property affected by floodwater.
00:52 hrs - B3261 Kilmington towards Axminster - Two persons rescued from car stuck in floodwater and taken to a safe location.
01:02 hrs - Littlehempston, Totnes - Fire crews pumped advancing floodwater from property and away from property to reduce water levels.  Western Power were requested to attend for one electricity transformer on a pole partially submerged in floodwater at this location.
01:05 hrs - Littlehempston, Totnes - Fire crews assisted with salvage from property affected by floodwater and pumped water from property and surrounding area.
01:52 hrs - Bickley Mill, Stoneycombe, Newton Abbot - Two males stuck in vehicle in floodwater assisted from vehicle and escorted to a safe location.
06:22 hrs - Way Hill, Chagford - Eighteen inches of floodwater pumped from cellar of property.
06:26 hrs - Whitford Road, Musbury, Axminster - Two males stuck in vehicle in floodwater rescued from car.  Fire crews rendered oxygen therapy to one elderly male suffering from exhaustion and requested the attendance of Ambulance