Poor weather conditions leads to busy night for Southam firefighters

The first incident happened at around 7.25pm on Welsh Road East in Southam.

Warwickshire Fire Control received a call from the police to assist at a road traffic collision (RTC), which involved an overturned Fiat 500 with four people trapped inside.

Three fire engines were sent to the scene including crews from Southam and Leamington Fire Stations.

The incident the crew were sent to was a road traffic collision (RTC) which involved an overturned car with four people trapped inside.

A spokesperson from Southam Fire Station said: "On arrival extraction did look quite challenging, but on opening the boot and finding all four teenagers with barely a scratch between them, we simply assisted them from the vehicle. Four very lucky young people.

"The police established there was no excessive speed, alcohol (zero reading), or vehicle defects to blame.

"It was simply an inexperienced driver driving in poor conditions, and although speed wasn’t excessive, driving a little slower still would have avoided the accident."

The firefighters used a winch to remove the vehicle from the ditch. West Midlands Ambulance Service also attended.

The second incident of the night involved a refuse fire.

It is not known where the fire was but the crews attended and issued advice about staying with a'controlled burn' fire.

A spokesperson from Southam Fire Station said: "Unbelievably someone managed to start a fire in some refuse after all that rain last night.

"The landowner did eventually attend, but we’d already started to extinguish the fire, (assisted by the rain).

"If you start a “controlled burn” stay with it and ensure it doesn’t spread. Also make sure you can extinguish it without our assistance.

"Added to which, if we do get called to it, and you’re there, we can leave it with you if it’s safe to do so."

The third call out for the crew involved a flooded road in Princethorpe.

According to the firefighters homes around the road, which has not been named, were being threatened with flood water. They said that the situation was made worse by people trying to drive through the water.

A spokesperson said: "Third and last of the night was a flooded road in Princethorpe.

"Homes were being threatened with flood water, and this was not helped by people insisting on trying to drive through, causing a bow-wave to be formed, and making the situation worse.

"Do remember that although a detour is slightly inconvenient to you, imagine how devastating flooding is to the home owners concerned.

"We assisted with turning vehicles back until the Police could close the road at both ends."