The island’s fire service dealt with a number of incidents on Saturday.
They had to deal with a number of different incidents.
At 5.13pm, Peel fire crews responded to repeat calls to wheelie bins well alight near a restaurant on East Quay in the town.
They discovered two large wheelie bins well alight. They were extinguished with high pressure hosereels and crews remained there for 10 minutes to ensure that no fire had spread in to the restaurant. The cause of the fire is unknown and currently under investigation.
A fire service spokesman said: ‘Wheelie bins are an easy target for vandalism and arson attack and once lit can cause serious damage to any adjoining property.
‘We strongly recommend the metal type for any large disposal of waste and/or if that is not an option storing bins in a secure area away from windows, porches and doorways. We also appeal to the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the police or fire and rescue personnel.
At 5.41pm, crews from Douglas fire station dealt with a grass and gorse fire off Marine Drive near Port Soderick.
Due to poor water supply the officer in charge of the first attending appliance ordered on an additional water bowser/carrier. After 30 minutes of difficult fire fighting due to access and onshore wind the fire was brought under control
A fire service spokesman said: ‘Luckily a footpath above the fire acted as a natural fire break which helped to control the spread.’
The cause is currently not known, and no injuries were reported.
Firefighters left the scene at 7pm.
However, they were called again a couple of hours later after a re-ignition of the fire due to strong onshore wind fanning the area.
Again, crews extinguished the blaze with high pressure hosereels and jets supplemented by water from the water bowser/carrier. At 10.40pm due to the fading light operations had to be scaled down to to conditions becoming dangerous for crews working in certain areas however, it appeared that water had doused all the major inaccessible hot spot areas.
They did not have to return.
At 7.17, as their colleagues were dealing with the Port Soderick fire for the first time, the standby crew on Douglas station responded to a call at King Edward Road near Port Jack. This turned out to be youths who had possibly been lighting a disposable barbecue at the bottom of the cliff walkway opposite Port Jack.
Crew using a ‘portable aqua pack’ (a small tank of water which can be easily pressurised and carried on a fire-fighter’s back) was used to extinguish the barbecue and damp down. Police were also on scene and spoke to the youths concerned.
A fire service spokesman said: ‘Please consider where you place a portable barbecue. Heat is easily conducted underneath please be sensible and on completion ensure the barbecue is extinguished and never left unattended.
‘Again if camping do not bring this type of portable barbecue anywhere near your sleeping area or place in a van to keep warm, as they produce a large amount of carbon monoxide in an enclosed space.’
On Saturday at 10.05pm, the Douglas crew rescued four people trapped in a lift in a property on Peel Road.
One of the trapped people rang 999 and the panic button also raised the alarm at the Emergency Services Joint Control Room
A little later, at 10.57, the Douglas crews responded to a call for help with a fuel leak at a garage forecourt on Peel Road.
This was found to be from a damaged fuel nozzle delivery pipe. The leak was contained by isolating the pump and dissipating the spillage by washing down.