Volunteers cooking '400 meals a day' for Holme Fen firefighters
The fire first broke out 10 days ago
Volunteers are racking up an average of 400 meals a day to help dozens of firefighters tackle a fire at Holme Fen Nature Reserve near Peterborough.
Ben Marsh, who leads the Rapid Relief Team's Cambridgeshire branch (RRT), said "initially, it was around 600 meals" when the fire first broke out last Saturday.
"The work they're doing down there is really impressive; they've managed to contain it and get it into a sustainable situation so they're reducing the (number of) fire crews," Ben said.
"We don't want to waste any food so we're reflecting on what's needed."
The first group of RRT volunteers have been cooking and delivering hot meals and drinks - from hot dogs to burgers - to fire crews for the last nine days.
Ben usually takes the meals from the RRT's tent - based at the Admiral Wells pub close to Holme Fen - to firefighters as and when they're ready.
'A drink is just what they need'
"It is their job to fight the fire but actually, they can be a lot more effective if they're properly looked after," he said.
"They're (firefighters) quite often forgotten; they are making various comments about how it keeps them strengthened.
"You can imagine if they're down there on the fire front, they're hot, sweaty; even a drink is sometimes just what they need."
"It's been immense (volunteer help); we've had volunteers who dropped things to be here and are fully committed."
The RRT say they expect to be in Holme once the fire is further under control.
It's the second fire at the nature reserve within the last month, which firefighters believe was started deliberately.
Matthew Warren, the county's chief fire officer, said the fire has been "one of the most significant our county has faced in many, many years."
What is Holme Fen?
Holme Fen - managed by Natural England - spans 657 acres of land and includes the Holme Post, the lowest land point in Great Britain which stands at 2.75 metres below sea level.
The nature reserve is also home to various species of wildlife, as well as more than 500 types of fungi and is a designated site of special scientific interest.
In a statement, Simon Thompson - area commander at Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue - said that firefighters are working tirelessly in arduous conditions, amidst challenging terrain and unstable ground.
The service said that water supply continues to be challenging and have been supported by fire crews from as far as Merseyside, as well as local farmers who've helped to create firebreaks.
While people living in the Peterborough area were warned to close windows and doors to keep the smell of smoke away due to a change in wind direction.
Fire may burn 'for weeks'
Tom Martin is one farmer near Peterborough who created a firebreak to stop the smoke fro spreading to Holme village.
"They asked farmers with mowers and cultivation equipment (to help); I went down with a mower on Sunday evening to cultivate a firebreak so when the wind changed direction, the fire wouldn't hopefully leap across to the village or the East Coast main line," he said.
"You can't miss it; plumes of smoke filling the horizon to the east and it's worrying because it's such an important nature reserve; it's terribly sad to see it burning."
"I think this could go on for some time; the fire is burning down into the peat, so it's a source of fuel, high in carbon and so peat can burn for a long time and if you've got a depth of a metre or two of peat, that fire can be burning below the surface so it could be weeks (till it's burnt out).
"Sometimes you get the big fires on peatland that are often put out in the winter when rainfall comes."
The concern comes as Paul Bristow, mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, has thanked firefighters for their work so far.
In a letter to Mr Warren, Mr Bristow said "it is clearly a significant operation, involving more than 80 firefighters alongside support from neighbouring services, Peterborough Volunteer Fire Brigade, Airbourne Solutions and the local farming community.
"It has been impressive to see everyone working together in such difficult circumstances."
The fire service is urging people to stay away from the area for their safety and work at Holme Fen is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.