Chard Fire Station

26/08/2026

A massive thank you to Nicky, Community Champion at Tesco Chard, who joined us at Chard Police Station for our joint drill night yesterday evening!

Events like this give us a great opportunity to pause and show our appreciation for everything Nicky does behind the scenes.

From arranging donations for local charity drives and supporting emergency services, to coordinating community projects and funding grants for local groups, a Tesco Community Champion acts as a vital bridge between the store and the neighborhood.

They dedicate their time to making sure local causes, schools, and emergency services have the resources and support they need to thrive.

Nicky’s continuous support means the world to both our crew at Chard Fire Station and our colleagues at Chard Police.

Thank you, Nicky, for being such a champion for our town! 🚒💙

Yesterday evening i had the privilege of being invited to Chard Police Station by Chard Fire Station and the lovely Hayley.
Not being quite sure why i was asked i happily went along with a colleague Heidi .
Both services had organised the evening to show their appreciation for all the support we give them, very unexpected and very thoughtful of you all ( im not sure how i held back the emotions🤦‍♀️😂) but a massiveTHANKYOU.🥰
Thankyou to you all too for the service you give Chard and wider community, it doesn't bear thinking about where we would be without you, even more so during this unprecedented weather☀️.🚒🚓

18/08/2026

🚨 INCIDENT: VEHICLE FIRE LARGE 🚨

🗓️17/08/2026
⏰ 20:45
📍Marsh A303
🚒 V75P1 - Chard Fire Station
🚒V75P2 - Chard Fire Station
🚒V40P1 - Honiton Fire Station
🚒V40P2 - Honiton Fire Station
🚒 V61P1 - Taunton Fire Station
🚒V61H2 - Taunton Fire Station
🚒V79P1 - Ilminster Fire Station
🚒 V73W1 -Yeovil Fire Station

On Monday evening , both of Chard’s appliances (V75P1 and V75P2) alongside a Water Carrier from Yeovil were mobilised to reports of an articulated lorry carrying a full load of hay on fire. While en route, following multiple 999 calls and reports of a large smoke plume, Control swiftly escalated the response to 3 pumping appliances. 💨🚒

Upon arrival, firefighters were confronted with a heavy fire involving a fully loaded lorry on the carriageway, well alight. Crews immediately got to work wearing Breathing Apparatus (BA), deploying hose reel jets and 51mm main attack jets to tackle the intense heat and flames. 💦🔥

Due to the size of the blaze and the challenging nature of burning hay, the Incident Commander (IC) initially made pumps 4. As the incident developed, the IC escalated the incident further, requesting another 2 pumping appliances (taking it to 6 pumps) along with an Environmental Protection Unit to manage run-off and protect the local area. 🚛

Crews worked relentlessly in arduous conditions through the night to surround and extinguish the fire, using:
👉 Breathing Apparatus (BA) 🪖
👉 Hose reel jets & 51mm attack jets 💦
👉 Drag forks to break down tightly packed hay bales 🌾
👉 Thermal imaging cameras to detect deep-seated hotspots 📸

After hours of intense work, initial crews were relieved at approximately 2:00 AM by 4 pumping appliances, with Chard’s firefighters finally returning to station around 2:30 AM. 😴

A massive thank you to all partner agencies and surrounding stations for their seamless teamwork throughout a long and demanding night!

Another Big thank you to the Local Farmers who helped assist both with water Supply and spreading out the hay. Your help was invaluable to the incident being got under control . 👨‍🌾🚜

⚠️ Safety Reminder: Hay and straw fires generate extreme heat and vast amounts of smoke. Please allow extra time for travel if passing through affected routes, and always keep doors and windows closed if you live downwind of a major incident.

15/08/2026

We would like to extend a huge thank you to the The Candlelight Inn, for supplying us with refreshing cold soft drinks following a challenging field fire in Bishopswood this afternoon. They were really kind to all crews, we cannot thank you enough.

The candlelight is a lovely pub located within the village of Bishopswood , definitely one for everyone to go & visit for some lovely food & really welcoming & friendly staff, thank you so much again from us all 😊.

https://www.candlelightinn.co.uk
📞01460 497850

15/08/2026

🚨 INCIDENT: FIRE IN THE OPEN 🚨

🗓️15/08/2026
📍Bishopswood
🚒 V75P1 - Chard Fire Station
🚒 V61P1 - Taunton Fire Station
🚒 V61M1 - Taunton Fire Station
🚒 V40P1 - Honiton Fire Station
🚒 V73W1 - Yeovil Fire Station

Earlier today, Chard’s first appliance was mobilised to reports of a wildfire in the Bishopswood area. While en route, the incident was quickly escalated to two appliances due to multiple 999 calls and a large smoke plume spotted in the distance by the responding crew. 💨

On arrival, firefighters were faced with a significant wildfire. One field was well alight alongside extensive hedgerows, complicated by a live downed power line on the ground. ⚡️🔥

Faced with rapid fire spread, challenging weather conditions, and limited water supply, the Incident Commander requested:

👉 An additional pumping appliance 🚒
👉 A Water Carrier 💧
👉 Two 4x4 wildfire vehicles for off-road access 🚜

Crews worked incredibly hard in extremely arduous conditions to surround the fire, using multiple hosereel jets, 51mm attack jets and beaters to protect the surrounding area, and bring the blaze under control.

To conclude a tough incident, crews held their debrief at the Candlelight Inn, where the generous pub owner kindly refreshed the firefighters with cold drinks! A massive thank you to the Candlelight Inn team for your incredible hospitality and support—it was hugely appreciated by all the crews on scene. 🍺🥤👏

⚠️ Safety Reminder: Always treat fallen power lines as live and dangerous. Keep a safe distance away and report them to 999 and your network provider immediately.

14/08/2026

13/08/2026

During yesterday’s fire in the Buckland St Mary area , a local window cleaner stepped up and pitched in to help us tackle the blaze before and as crews arrived.

Your quick thinking and efforts made a real difference, and the team at Chard Fire Station would love to get in touch to properly say thank you! 👏🙌

If you are this person—or if you know who he is—please send us a direct message on Facebook or drop by the station.

Please LIKE & SHARE this post so we can find him! 🚒💨

06/08/2026

🚨 INCIDENT: FIRE IN THE OPEN 🚨

🗓️06/08/2026
⏰ 13:17
📍South Chard
🚒 V75P1 - Chard Fire Station
🚒 V34P1 - Axminster Fire Station

Earlier today, Chard’s crew was mobilised to reports of a field fire in the South Chard area.

Upon arrival, firefighters found a fast-moving fire rapidly consuming grassland and spreading towards nearby boundary lines. Crews initially got to work attacking the fire using two hose reel jets, setting into a local hydrant several lengths of hose away to establish a secure water supply. 💦💧

Due to the speed at which the fire was spreading across the field, the Incident Commander made the decision to make up for a further appliance from Axminster to assist with additional personnel and water delivery. 🚒

With extra help on scene, crews worked hard using:
👉 Hose reel jets 💦
👉 Beaters 🪵
👉 Thermal imaging cameras to detect hidden hotspots 📸

Thanks to a quick and coordinated effort, firefighters successfully brought the blaze under control and prevented further damage to neighboring land.

In total, approximately 1 acre of grassland and 100 metres of hedgerow were damaged by fire. 🌾🔥

⚠️ Safety Reminder: Dry grass and hedgerows can ignite easily and spread with incredible speed, especially in windy conditions. Please take extra care in countryside areas—dispose of smoking materials safely and avoid lighting open fires or using disposable BBQs near dry vegetation.

If you spot a fire in the open, please don't hesitate—dial 999 straight away. 📞

27/07/2026

🚨 INCIDENT: VEHICLE FIRE LARGE🚨

🗓️ 27/07/2026
⏰ 17:03
📍Forton
🚒 V75P1 - Chard Fire Station
🚒 V75P2 - Chard Fire station
🚒 V73W1 - Yeovil Fire station

Earlier today, Chard’s appliances were mobilised to reports of a large vehicle fire involving a combine harvester in the Forton area.

On arrival, crews were faced with a well-developed fire involving the combine harvester, which had quickly spread to the surrounding crop, affecting an area of approximately 100m x 70m.

Due to narrow access tracks leading to the field, Yeovil’s Water Carrier was initially mobilised but unfortunately had to be stood down due to access issues. Adapting quickly to the situation, crews established a continuous water shuttle using our appliances to maintain a reliable water supply to the fireground. 💧🚛

Firefighters got to work immediately in challenging conditions, using:
👉 Hose reel jets 💦
👉 Beaters 🪵
👉 Thermal imaging cameras to check for hotspots 📸

Thanks to the hard work and rapid action of the crews, a good stop was made, successfully preventing the fire from spreading further across the field.

Sadly, despite the best efforts of everyone on scene, the combine harvester was approximately 80% destroyed by fire.

⚠️ Safety Reminder: During harvest season, machinery fires can develop rapidly in dry conditions. Please ensure farm machinery is regularly checked, kept free of dry dust/debris build-up, and that appropriate fire extinguishers are kept on board where possible.

As always, if you spot a fire in the countryside, call 999 immediately. 📞

17/07/2026