London Fire Brigade Urges Residents to Take Extra Precautions
The current strike action by the Fire Brigades Union will continue until 6 p.m. Tuesday, one day before Bonfire Night.
The London Fire Brigade is asking residents of the capital city to take extra fire safety precautions during a four-day strike action by the Fire Brigades Union that began at 6 p.m. Oct. 31 and will continue until 6 p.m. Tuesday, one day before Bonfire Night. Also known as Guy Fawkes Day and Firework Night, it is an annual commemoration observed on Nov. 5 in Great Britain commemorating the arrest of Guy Fawkes, a member of the Gunpowder Plot to detonate explosives beneath the House of Lords.
Emergency Fire Contingency Crews are responding to fire calls in London during the strike over a pension dispute. Only 27 fire engines are available to answer calls, according to the brigade.
Crews are responding to serious fires confirmed by a 999 call, as well as fires involving gas cylinders or hazardous substances; explosions; vehicle or boat fires; fires at railway stations, rail or road tunnels; fires involving people in underground tunnels; aircraft or train crashes; motor vehicle collisions; and collapsed structures. They may not be able to respond to small outdoor fire, rubbish fires, animal rescue calls, people stranded in elevators, flooding, or automatic fire alarms.