Command Support Unit PO56TVY temporarily allocated to Lancaster.
PO55WDU from Blackburn was the early support pump for the CSU.
PN52VJL from Padiham.
Wednesday was a different day for me as I had to attend a funeral in the middle of the day, so I acted as 'gopher' to another crew who attended in the 'A' Unit. Nonetheless I spent much of the day at the incident as this crew worked through from 1000 - 1800, and I was able to act as a relief member after I got back from the funeral. On their arrival at the R.V. point they were asked to make many food packs up as we had done the day before. As some of the crews had already been on the moors since 0530, I was able to drive round in my car, distributing the ever welcome Mars Bars. To give some idea as to the size of the incident, although I was distributing Mars and taking photographs, I spent as little time as possible at each location and yet it still took me well over an hour to drive around the perimeter of the incident. From memory 36 loaves of bread were used on this day along with 450 Mars Bars to say nothing of the bags of cheese, and tins of hot-dogs, tuna and corned beef that were used!
Again the pictures are shown
more or less in the order in which I took them, and where possible I have
avoided including appliances photographed in more than one place.
Command Support Unit PO56TVY temporarily allocated to Lancaster.
PO55WDU from Blackburn was the early support pump for the CSU.
PN52VJL from Padiham.
The next group of pictures were
taken as I drove around the perimeter of the incident.
The reserve Daf 55 from Bacup T124BCK was situated just beyond the Blue Lagoon.
Also near the Blue Lagoon was PL06OWA from Darwen.
Completing the line up near the Blue Lagoon was T131BCK from Barnoldswick.
PJ52FMM the second pump from Nelson was the first appliance photographed on this day at Anglezarke.
Parked close by was the first pump from Nelson PL06IVY.
Most of the other appliances at Anglezarke had travelled from the Fylde, including W139BRN from Fleetwood...
...W137BRN from St. Annes...
...and PO56VGX from Blackpool.
Further down the road was PM164 from Burnley seen in the glorious beauty of this part of Lancashre.
It was then over to Withnell where PJ52FML was situated.
Alongside PJ52FML was PN52VJL from Padiham.
On the final leg of my journey, on the border of Withnell, Abbey Village and Belmont was PO55WDS from Preston.
The remaining pictures
taken on Wednesday were back at the R.V. point where late afternoon we
had the arrival of the Lancashire Police Helicopter which took an officer
over the fireground to make an assessment of the incident. As will
seen, the sky was still very blue, although at long last there was optimism
in the weather forecast that there could be some rain in the area on Thursday.
The media were also out in force on Wednesday as will be noticeable particularly
in the first picture below.
X142RFV from Darwen.
PJ52FMK from Bamber Bridge.
L4V S794LRN from Darwen.
X146RFV from Darwen.
The almost ever-present T128BCK from Great Harwood.
PN09PYN from Chorley.
Late support pump for the CSU was PO55WDV from Blackburn.
The arrival of G-LASU, the Lancashire Police Helicopter.
G-LASU seeking a suitable landing place as PN09PYV from Chorley temporarily closed the road for safety reasons.
Here G-LASU is just about to land for the first time.
Having completed the survey of the fireground, the helicopter was making its second approach.
This time is was PO55WDV from Blackburn that was used as a temporary road block.
I particularly liked this picture as it showed all the loose grass coming towards the camera lens.