Chaos in the snow: Schools and roads close, electricity cut off, house catches fire ...

HEAVY overnight snowfalls brought more chaos to West Somerset today as schools closed, people were unable to travel to work, and many homes lost their electricity.
Up to five inches of snow fell across a wide area in just a few hours, with as much as 20 inches reported in the highest areas, while the windy conditions led to deep drifts.
Buses were cancelled and some roads became impassable while others remained extremely difficult to negotiate.
Electricity supplies were cut off for several hours in the Roadwater area and also in Bishops Lydeard after a series of power outages across Somerset and Devon left Western Power Distribution engineers struggling to keep on top of the situation.
The A396 Dunster to Dulverton road was closed because trees and power lines had been brought down by the weight of snow.
The A358 was impassable at Crowcombe, and the B3190 was closed between Sticklepath and Ralegh’s Cross.
Bus and coach services operated by First, Webberbus, Cooks Coaches, Quantock Motors, Berry’s, South West Coaches, and Stagecoach were all cancelled.
Somerset County Council said staff were working hard to maintain essential services, although many services had been disrupted.
Snow ploughs were on the roads working continuously, with 23 gritters with snow ploughs attached and six additional highway vehicles operating round-the-clock.
Farmers and contractors were also helping clear the roads - helping to shift a total of 1.4 million cubic metres of snow across the county since last night.
In areas of West Somerset where the road conditions were particularly bad, county council staff were using Somerset 4x4 Response - a group of volunteers who assist in emergencies - to visit people needing support.
The county council warned yesterday it had only a week’s supply of salt left, but it was expecting a delivery of 1,500 tonnes today to replenish stocks.
Libraries were closed in Dulverton, Minehead, Williton, Porlock, Wiveliscombe, and Bishops Lydeard, and all mobile libraries and vans were off the road today.
Waste collection crews were unable to reach their depots, meaning all household waste recycling centres were shut and waste or recycling collections were not taking place.
People expecting their collection today were requested to take their waste off the highway and to put it out again for collection on Monday instead.
A total of 184 out of Somerset’s 284 schools were closed today, including the following primary and first schools: Bishops Lydeard, Cannington, Crowcombe, Cutcombe, Cutcombe, Dunster, Exford, Knights Templar, in Watchet, Lydeard St Lawrence, Minehead, Spaxton, St Dubricius, in Porlock, Stogumber, Stogursey, Timberscombe, Wiveliscombe, and also Kingsmead School, in Wiveliscombe.
Minehead and Dulverton were two of only four middle schools in Somerset to stay open, while the West Somerset Community College, in Minehead, was one of just 10 secondary schools in the county to remain open.
The county council said essential services to vulnerable people were being maintained despite the weather conditions and staff were linking with home care agencies to ensure people could be contacted and provided with the necessary support.
Almost all adult social care and learning disability day centres were expected to be closed for the day, although the West Somerset Leisure Centre, in Minehead, was open.
County council staff who were unable to reach their normal place of work were advised to go to their nearest county council facility, where they could be deployed to help maintain essential services.
Both the Crown Court and Magistrates Court in Taunton were closed today because of the weather.
Police urged motorists not to make any non-essential trips anywhere in Somerset or Devon today as the weather had made driving conditions on many roads extremely dangerous.
Those drivers whose journeys were essential were advised to take ‘tremendous care’ and to allow plenty of time for the journey, as well as plenty of space between themselves and the vehicle in front because stopping distances would be greater.
Police said windscreens should be cleared of snow and ice, and the roof should also be cleared because snow could easily slip and obscure the windows.
Motorists were advised to stay on main roads, as they were likely to be easier to navigate, and to routinely test their brakes.
Essential items to carry on any journey included de-icer, food, a hot flask, a blanket, and appropriate footwear and clothing.
Anybody heading for the M5 was advised that a 30 mph speed limit had been imposed at 7.35 am today throughout Somerset.
As if the weather was not bad enough, one family in Rodhuish, near Withycombe, also suffered a fire in their home in the early hours of today which resulted in one person being taken to hospital
The blaze happened just before 6.30 am and when firemen arrived they found the ground floor was filled with smoke.
They used breathing apparatus to rescue one occupant of the property who was suffering from smoke inhalation and required oxygen before being taken by ambulance to Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton.
The fire was put out with one hose reel jet, and its cause was not yet known.
Forecasts suggested that temperatures would fall this evening, which could result in the snow and slush currently on the roads turning into ice and making them even more hazardous.
Avon and Somerset Police Deputy Chief Constable Rob Beckley said: “All the relevant agencies are working very closely together, supporting each other and putting into place plans to deal with the challenges posed by the wintry weather.
“Public safety is the paramount concern of all the agencies involved and we are doing everything we can to make local residents safe.
“But it is extremely important that local people play their part, too, and only take to the road over the next 24 hours at least, if it is absolutely necessary.
“If the temperatures drop as predicted, and the snow turns to ice, then even those roads which have been treated with salt and grit could become increasingly dangerous.
“Efforts are being made to treat as many roads as possible but clearly the priority must be main arterial routes, and there will undoubtedly be many routes which will not be treated.
“All the agencies within the ‘local resilience forum’ are in regular discussion, sharing resources and ensuring that all critical services are maintained.
“I am very grateful to the staff of all the relevant agencies for all their dedication and professionalism in working so hard to help protect the safety of local residents.
“I would advise people to keep monitoring weather forecasts during the course of the weekend for updates and developments.
“If, and only if, your journey is absolutely necessary, you should take every possible precaution to make it as safe as possible.
“The best possible advice we can give is quite simply do not travel at all during the next 24 hours.”
More sleet and snow was forecast to fall across Exmoor tomorrow as another weather front moved from the Atlantic toward the UK.
Taunton Deane Borough Council said its offices would close at 10 am today, but neighbouring Sedgemoor District Council said more than half of its staff had been able to turn up for work and its offices would stay open until 5 pm.

• Our photographs show (TOP) snow-covered cars and (BELOW) one of the Western Power Distribution helicopters used for spotting downed electricity cables and transporting engineers to the scene. Photos submitted.

Fire crews discover gas cylinder in blazing garden shed

THE potential danger of an exploding gas cylinder was faced by fire and rescue crews who attended a blaze in a garden shed in Watchet this evening.
The seemingly minor incident is Brendon Road turned into a more major alert when a Calor gas cylinder was discovered inside the shed.
Fire crews attended the incident from Williton, Minehead, and Taunton just before 5 pm.
After putting out the blaze, they remained on scene for some time, using two ground monitors.

Man injured as A39 crash causes traffic delays

A MAN was taken to hospital this evening after being trapped in a three-vehicle crash on the A39 at Cannington.
He was cut free from the wreckage of his vehicle by fire and rescue crews who removed the roof of the vehicle using road rescue equipment.
The collision happened in Main Road, near the Tincknell Mitsubishi dealership and Bridgwater Mowers, and the casualty’s car ended up in a roadside hedge.
Paramedics then used a spinal board to out the injured man in an ambulance and take him to Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton.
One lane of the road was blocked and queues of traffic travelling toward Bridgwater built up during more than two hours while the rescue was carried out and the highway cleared after the accident, which happened shortly before 5 pm.
A fire appliance from Bridgwater and a rescue tender from Taunton attended the incident.

Hunt for van arsonists as flames threaten thatched cottage

AN arsonist gang was being sought in Minehead early today after a parked van was set alight in the centre of the town, putting a nearby thatched cottage at risk.
Firefighters from the Minehead station were called to deal with the early hours blaze, which happened in Bampton Street.
Police were also quickly on the scene and three men wearing hoods were seen running away from the scene and into Selbourne Place.
Both of the Minehead fire appliances were needed at the incident because of the risk the flames and sparks posed to the thatched property.
The silver colour Transit van was well alight when the fire and rescue crews reached the scene shortly before 2.45 am.
It suffered damage to the passenger and engine compartments by fire and smoke and also to the rear of vehicle as the firemen extinguished the flames using two hose reel jets.
The cause of the fire was found to be deliberate.
Anybody with any information about the incident should call PC Mark Potter at Minehead Police Station on 0845 4567000 or use the anonymous Crimestoppers free number 0800 555111.

Crash closes A358 as two are cut free from wreckage

THE A358 between Williton and Taunton was closed for a number of hours last night after two vehicles were in collision near Bicknoller.
Two men - one in each vehicle – were trapped in the wreckage and had to be cut free by fire and rescue crews using hydraulic cutting equipment.
They were handed over to waiting ambulance crews who took them to Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton.
Both men’s injuries were said not to be life threatening.
Fire and rescue crews attended the scene from Williton and Nether Stowey, together with a rescue tender from Taunton, and a command support unit from Wiveliscombe.
The accident happened between Newton Lane and Slough Lane just before 9 pm and blocked the A358 in both directions, causing long traffic queues as police redirected vehicles along country lanes.

Woman airlifted to hospital after lorry crash closes A39

A WOMAN was airlifted to hospital this morning after being injured in a two-vehicle crash which closed the A39 near Williton.
A lorry and a car were in collision on a stretch of the road near West Quantoxhead shortly before 10 am.
The woman driver of the car was trapped in her vehicle with her two dogs, and the HGV driver was also trapped in his lorry.
Fire and rescue crews attended from Williton, Minehead, and Glastonbury, as well as a rescue tender from Glastonbury and a control unit from Wiveliscombe.
The rescue crews cut off the roof of the car to release the woman and her dogs.
She had suffered chest, head, and leg injuries and was flown to hospital in Weston-super-Mare for treatment.
The lorry driver was freed when the firefighters used a 135 ladder to reach his cab, and he was then taken by ambulance to Musgrove Park Hospital, in Taunton.
The situation was brought under control in little more than an hour, and the road was completely cleared and the fire and rescue crews stood down by 1.22 pm.

Smoke detector fitted after New Year's Day kitchen blaze

FIREFIGHTERS from Williton tackled a kitchen blaze last night in May Terrace, Washford.
Two fire engines attended the incident, which happened shortly after 7 pm and found smoke billowing from the rear of the house.
The fire was caused by an electrical fault within a washer-dryer and was it was put out by two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus and using a hose reel jet.
The washer-dryer was destroyed by heat and fire, and the kitchen was badly damaged by smoke.
The fire and rescue crews found smoke detectors were not fitted in the property so they ensured that one was fitted while they were at the scene.

Oven blaze leads to safety advice from firefighters

TWO fire engines from Williton were mobilised this afternoon to reports of an oven fire in a property on Greenway, Watchet.
However, on arrival just before 3.30 pm the crews found the blaze was already out.
Fire alarms were not fitted at the property and the fire and rescue crews gave some safety advice and ventilated the property.

Old oven gloves cause farmhouse fire

THREE fire and rescue crews from Porlock and Minehead were called to a farmhouse blaze this morning at Home Bush Wood, Luccombe.
The brigade was alerted at just after 9 am when the fire was spotted in the living room of the property.
One appliance from Porlock and two from Minehead were mobilised, plus a command support unit from Wiveliscombe.
However, the Porlock firemen were first on the scene and they quickly realised the blaze could be put out without the support of the other appliances, which returned to their stations.
A log basket was found to be alight and it was removed from the living room and the firefighters used positive pressure ventilation and a dry powder extinguisher to put out the flames.
The cause was an old set of oven gloves which had been used to stoke the fire with logs and which had then been placed in the log basket where they ignited.
The damage was restricted to three sq ft of direct burning, and 500 sq ft of smoke damage.
Smoke alarms were fitted to the property.
The firefighters also carried out a ‘hot strike’ to neighbouring properties.

Firefighters investigate Christmas Day blaze on Exmoor

FIVE fire engines from four towns were called to a Christmas Day house fire on Exmoor.
Crews attended the incident from Dulverton, Wiveliscombe, Williton, and Bampton.
The blaze in Brompton Regis was spotted by neighbours after smoke detectors in the The Old Waggon Works activated just before 3.20 pm this afternoon.
Owners Peter Page, who is a parish councillor, and his wife Babs, were understood to be away at the time for a family Christmas celebration.
One bedroom was almost entirely destroyed in the fire, which also spread to the loft of the house and to a downstairs utility room as firefighters used breathing apparatus to enter the property and tackle the blaze.
The whole of the groundfloor and first floor of the house suffered smoke damage, but The Post understands nobody was injured in the incident.
Six sets of breathing apparatus, two hose reel jets, and one covering jet were used in the firefighting operation.
The cause of the fire was still under investigation this evening but was beleived to have been an electrical fault.

Holnicote Estate rural workshop destroyed in electrical fire

A WORKSHOP on the National Trust’s Holnicote Estate was almost completely destroyed by fire early today.
The alarm was sounded by a tenant farmer at isolated Horner Farm, near Luccombe, at about 9 am.
A fire and rescue crew was initially sent to the scene from Minehead, but on arrival the officer in charge realised the incident was much more serious and called in further crews from Dulverton, Wiveliscombe, Nether Stowey, and Lynton.
It is thought an electrical fault was to blame for setting alight the converted barn premises.
The fire quickly ripped through the 164 feet by 33 feet building, although nobody was hurt in the incident.
It took several hours for the firefighters to put out the blaze using compressed air foam, two hose reel jets and one main jet.
Approximately 70 per cent of the building was destroyed and machinery and tools inside the workshop were even more badly damaged.
National Trust senior rural surveyor Andrew Lawes said although a detailed fire investigation report was awaited, it appeared that faulty electrics were to blame.
Mr Lawes said: “Our insurers and loss adjusters will visit in the New Year to survey the extent of the damage to the barn.
“We are relieved nobody has been hurt and are grateful to the fire and rescue service for their efforts in containing the fire so quickly and preventing the spread of damage to other parts of Horner Farm.”

Forging stronger links between community and public services

A NEW attempt is being made to forge stronger links between representatives of local public organisations and the community of West Somerset in what is known as a Local Area Panel.
The Minehead Area Panel is piloting the first of the new-look panels with a meeting to be held in the United Reform Church Hall, Bancks Street, Minehead, at 6 pm next Wednesday (December 10).
It is open to anybody to attend.
Representatives of Exmoor National Park Authority, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, officers from the county council’s locality and community teams, Somerset Primary Care Trust, and Magna West Somerset Housing Association, have been invited to join the panel.
West Somerset Council’s Minehead panel representative Adrian Dyer said: “The police already have a standing item on the agenda so that people can raise any issues that affect their community.
“Members of the business community, and officers and councillors from the local authorities are also present so that people can discuss anything from roads to regeneration.
“The panels have been very successful in some areas and we are looking to develop all of them, which is why we have asked other agencies to come along.
“The panels have the potential to be dynamic, interactive forums where the public can influence policy and make positive changes at a grass roots level.
“We hope this will appeal to people in our community, and we would welcome their input and their views.
“By working together, we can improve local social and economic well-being and help ensure our communities remain strong and active.”

Lucky escape as five-ton boulder falls from cliff onto house

STORMS which wreaked havoc across Exmoor and other parts of the Westcountry nearly proved fatal for a Dulverton pensioner.
A five-ton boulder was ripped from a rock face and crashed 60 feet into the back garden of Gwyneth Jarman’s home.
The rock fall flattened two sheds and a fuel tank containing 1,000 litres of inflammable heating oil, squashing the tank against the side of the house.
Fortunately, the boulder then came to rest beside the house in North Moor Road without structurally damaging it.
Mrs Jarman, aged 65, was asleep in bed at the time but was woken by the crash just before 4 am.
Although she escaped any injury, she was ‘extremely shaken-up’ by the incident.
Mrs Jarman said: “I heard the rumbling and the house shook.
“I woke up and did not realise what had happened.
“The boulder would have been in the kitchen if the shed had not been there.”
Devon and Somerset fire and rescue crews were called to check the area and the house itself were safe.
An investigation of the incident was started but it was not yet known how the boulder came loose

Information appeal as arsonist torches empty cottages

POLICE have issued an appeal for witnesses following a suspicious fire which destroyed two homes on the edge of the Quantock Hills during the early hours of today.
The properties, two cottages in Stockham, near West Bagborough, were believed to have been empty for several months.
The alarm was raised at 2.30 am, but police are keen to hear from anybody who may have been driving along the lane between West Bagborough and Triscombe and the junction of Rock Lane and Kennel Lane - where the cottages were located - any time from 8pm onwards last night.
In particular, officers would like to hear from anybody who may have seen a vehicle parking in the area, especially if it was near to the cottages.
Fire and rescue crews from Williton, Wiveliscombe, Taunton, and Bridgwater, as well as two officers, were called to the blaze
They started to arrive from 2.28 am and found two adjoining derelict properties were well alight.
The crews used compressed air foam and three hose reel jets to extinguish the fire and dampen down the buildings.
Arson was suspected, although officially the cause was unknown and was said to be still under investigation.
Anybody who may have any information about the incident is asked to contact Taunton police by calling 0845 4567000, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, where reports can be made anonymously.

Man dies in Dulverton flats blaze

A MAN in his 50s has died in a ferocious fire which ripped through a block of flats in Dulverton during the night.
Fire and rescue crews found the man in a top floor flat at Herbert House, on the corner of Amory Road and Barns Close West after being alerted shortly before 3 am today (Tuesday, February 19).
Dulverton firefighters, who were first on the scene, managed to save a second man who was trapped in another top floor flat.
Two other people, a man and a woman with a 12-year-old dog named Shadow, were able to escape by themselves from ground floor flats.
Up to 35 fire and rescue personnel were involved in battling the blaze at its height, with crews attending from Dulverton, Wiveliscombe, Bampton, and Tiverton, together with two hydraulic platforms from Taunton and Bridgwater, a command support unit from Wiveliscombe, and an incident support unit from Taunton.
The fire quickly took hold of the 40 feet by 65 feet building and was so severe that firemen had to strip the roof of tiles in order to use a hose reel jet to reach hotspots inside.

Herbert House was converted from a former shop premises about 11 years ago, and was named after Auberon Herbert, who had owned the Pixton estate on which the housing estate was built.
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue group manager Paul Godwin confirmed ‘one person has died’ in what he described as ‘a severe fire’.
Fire investigations officers were working with police forensic teams and scenes of crime officers who began examining the site when it became daylight.
A post mortem is due to be held to determine a cause of death of the man who died, whose name has not yet been released.

Child injured in two-car A39 accident

A FOUR-year-old child was among three casualties injured when two cars were in collision on the A39 at lunchtime today, Monday, February 18.
Fire and rescue crews from Minehead and Williton were called to the incident, which happened at Washford Cross just after 12.30 pm.
They used First Responder medical training to assist the casualties and worked with paramedics who also attended.
One person was initially trapped in one of the cars, but they were helped free by the firefighters without having to be cut out of the wreckage.
The other two casualties, including the child, who suffered neck injuries, were already out of their vehicle.
Paramedics then took the casualties to Musgrove Park Hospital, in Taunton.

Car driver trapped in ditch after Exmoor crash

A WOMAN was freed from an overturned car on an Exmoor road last night, Thursday, January 31, and taken to Musgrove Park Hospital, in Taunton.
She became trapped shortly after 7 pm when the car she was driving near Luxborough left the road and hit a tree before coming to rest on its side in a ditch.
No other vehicle was involved in the accident.
Fire and rescue crews from Williton and Minehead attended the scene, together with a rescue tender from Taunton.
They stabilised the vehicle to help with the release of the woman motorist after more than half-an-hour, and she was then taken to hospital by ambulance.
The extent of her injuries was not known.

Second serious A39 three-car crash in fortnight

EMERGENCY services were this morning dealing with a second serious road accident on the A39 outside Minehead in little more than a fortnight.
The three-car crash happened just after 7 am today, Tuesday, January 22, on the Dunster straight near the sawmills works.
The drivers of the three vehicles, which were a Mini Cooper, a Vauxhall Calibra, and a Peugeot 307, were thought to have suffered serious injuries and were trapped in their vehicles.
An ambulance crew was on the scene within three minutes of the alert, followed by a fire and rescue crew from Minehead Fire Station, and they were joined by a second crew from Williton and a rescue tender from Taunton.
The firefighters used cutting gear to remove the roofs and doors of the vehicles to free the trapped casulaties, two women and a man, who were then rushed to Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton.
Long queues of traffic built up as the A39 was closed for several hours and motorists were diverted at Carhampton onto the Brendon Hills and back through Dunster.
Even children walking along the A39 to school in Minehead were turned back by police because the crash left so much debris lying around.
The clean-up operation was expected to continue well into the late morning with the road remaining closed.
The earlier accident, on January 7, also involved three cars a little further along the Dunster straight and resulted in an elderly woman being cut from her car and flown by air ambulance to hospital with a suspected broken pelvis.

Women hurt as tumble drier catches alight

TWO women were treated by paramedics for the effects of smoke inhalation after a fire at a house in Minehead during the evening of Sunday, January 20.
They had been in the property in Ash Grove when a tumble drier caught alight and started to fill the house with smoke shortly after 8 pm.
Two fire and rescue crews from Minehead Fire Station attended the incident, along with an ambulance crew.
The firefighters tackled the blaze using two sets of breathing apparatus and one hose reel jet, as well as a positive pressure ventilation fan.
It took more than half-an-hour to bring the incident under control and put out the fire, although damage to the property was restricted to the room containing the tumble drier.
An electrical fault on the tumble drier was thought to have been the cause of the fire.

Crash on remote Exmoor road leaves one person trapped

FIRE and rescue crews battled for nearly an hour to free a woman trapped in her car after a crash on an isolated stretch of road near Wimbleball Lake.
The incident happened near Leigh Barton Farm, Skilgate, and involved two vehicles.
Two fire and rescue crews attended from Dulverton and Bampton shortly after 10 am on Wednesday, January 16, and used clan lucas cutting equipment to free the casualty, who was then taken by ambulance to hospital.
A rescue tender from Taunton Fire Station was also called to the scene.