Town pulls together to feed fire crews at Holme Fen

4 hours ago

John Devinein Ramsey

News image — Lisa Renfree said she was "astounded" by the people's generosity in helping feed the firefighters

John Devine/BBC A lady with blonde/sandy hair, just above her shoulders, she has a black and white top on with a silver necklace with a small silver pendant, behind her are two ladies in a kitchen with a tray of jacket potatoes on the left on a worktop. — Lisa Renfree said she was "astounded" by the people's generosity in helping feed the firefighters

A community has really "pulled together" to offer hot meals and refreshments to firefighters working on a major fire at a nature reserve, a council clerk has said.

Lisa Renfree, from Ramsey Town Council, said a fundraising effort had raised nearly £4,000 to feed about 70 firefighters who have working at Holme Fen Nature Reserve, near Peterborough, for over a week.

Renfree said a new kitchen at the community centre in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, had become a hub for cooking batches of jacket potatoes which were then delivered to a pub in Holme for the crews.

"We have been overwhelmed with offers from residents and businesses just simply asking, 'how can we help?'" she said.

Renfree added: "Sometimes you get sucked into the negativity you read on social media, but when a call to arms comes, the community really does pull together.

"It just shows you that positivity and kindness shows no bounds."

Peterborough Volunteer Fire Brigade Smoke rises from the blackened floor, as a woman firefighter with long blonde hair shoots water at glowing embers, while a man watches on. — Fire crews have faced working in high temperatures as well as the danger of falling trees

Renfree said the community came together to keep crews fed and refreshed following the departure of the Rapid Relief Team, a charity based in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, who had been serving food to firefighters since the fire started on 8 August.

Conditions that firefighters had been working in were compared to "boil in the bag" meals due to the heat.

John Devine/BBC Two people preparing potatoes to be cooked as jacket spuds. One person has a fork to prick the skin, the potatoes are glossy as they have been rolled in olive oil. — Potatoes were donated by a local business and volunteers prepared and cooked them

Renfree said the team had been catering to serve about 70 lunches and 40 dinners, with other local groups and volunteers stepping in to provide meals on other days.

She said a fundraising appeal had been set up, adding: "We have raised nearly £4,000, which is incredible, it will help buy food and any equipment we need and any funds left over will be donated to the firefighters fund."