In 2011, what was subsequently established as England’s largest wildfire of 2011, saw a massive long running incident centred on a huge area of Anglezarke Moor, by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, assisted by elements of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, in tackling a major moorland wild fire (Massive tracts of both grassland and woodland suffered)

Bolton MRT and Bowland Pennine MRT were involved in the incident lending logistical and other support to the fire fighting operations.

In late January 2014, whilst on the moors preparing for our Wednesday evening exercise of 29th January, Team Call Out list member Alistair Greenough chanced across a large amount of Fire Service Hose Reels, which had been mislaid in the aftermath of the Fire Service dealing with the moorland wild fires of 2011.

The location of this find of six hose reels, was communicated immediately to Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, who arranged for their recovery.

Today LFRS decided to recover these items from the grid reference supplied by us, in the vicinity of Hempshaws Ruins on the fringe of Anglezarke Moor.

A small number of team members involved with our provision of standby rescue cover for the LDWA Anglezarke Amble event, met up with LFRS resources from LFRS Preston Fire Station, late this morning to recover the hose reels.

Team members Steve Fletcher, Paul Copley and Sam McKay in our BM1 Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulance, met up above Wards Reservoir, Belmont, with the Pump crew and Incident Pod Unit from LFRS Preston Fire Station, under the direction of LFRS Watch Manager, Green Watch, Mark Woodward.

LFRS decided to utilise their ‘Polaris’ All Terrain Vehicle to recover the hose reels, with our Land Rover in support.

Utilising the access gate keys we have on all our team vehicles, the Polaris and our Land Rover accessed the moorland track network to the Hempshaws area from Lead Mines Valley.

Getting to the location, almost double the amount of hose reels initially found by Alistair were ultimately recovered from the general location.

This operation illustrated the close links we have with LFRS, and how we can provide logistical support to LFRS, all as part of the LFRS co-ordinated Lancashire FOG Group (Fire Operations Group)

Team member Sam McKay spent the operation being driven around in the LFRS (Road Legal) Polaris vehicle, great fun but very cold in todays weather.