FIREFIGHTERS in Nether Stowey took delivery of a new fire engine this week and almost immediately put it to use to attend an emergency in nearby Kilve.

The station’s new AWD 4X4 appliance arrived on Tuesday (March 3) and was needed the same evening for a chimney fire.

Six firefighters were despatched shortly after 6.15 pm to a property in Kilve where the residents were concerned about a fire in the chimney.

A Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue (DSFR) spokesperson said on arrival, the incident commander liaised with the occupant of the property and quickly went to work with the crew to put out the open fire.

The firefighters used a thermal imaging camera to check the whole chimney breast throughout the house for any hot spots and monitor a reduction in temperature from the chimney.

They removed the debris from the hearth, and once it was clear the crew could see into the chimney breast and saw that the fire had self extinguished.

The residents were given advice by the incident commander about what to do next and to have the chimney swept as a precaution.

The crews then packed away their tools and handed the incident back to the home owner.

The DSFR spokesperson said the new engine had replaced the station’s ‘trusty old steed’ and the Nether Stowey crews had received their new familiarisation training, meaning it had been immediately available for emergency calls.

They said: “We would like to say a special ‘thank you’ to our fantastic workshop staff who have worked hard over the past few weeks getting it all prepared and finalised ready for delivery to our station.

“Did you know Chelston workshops (in Wellington) help look after all of our fleet to keep all emergency vehicles available all year round.”