| Damage due to frozen pipes is putting a challenge before the firefighters of London Fire Brigade |
London Fire Brigade firefighters attended 163 flooding incidents in the last four days of November, a massive increase on 2007 and 2008 figures of the same period.
New figures revealed that flooding incidents have increased by 150 per cent in London due to frozen pipes bursting in the coldest start to a winter since records began. Firefighters attended 163 flooding incidents in the last four days of November, a massive increase on 2007 and 2008 figures of the same period.
Last year saw the figure rise to just over 100 but this was largely due to heavy rainfall. Figures this year are up because of frozen water pipes. The situation is likely to get worse when the thaw hits on Sunday, with temperatures expected to reach 4°C as the frozen pipes expand and then burst. The Brigade is reminding Londoners to ensure that their pipes are properly lagged, in order to reduce the risk of flooding caused by frozen pipes.
Between November 2009 - February 2010, firefighters in the capital attended 2274 floods in people’s homes. There were over 150 domestic flooding incidents on 7 January 2010 alone, which was one of the coldest days of last winter.
Dave Brown, Assistant Commissioner for the Brigade’s Operations and Mobilising Department said: “London Fire Brigade is taking every possible precaution to ensure we are prepared to deal with emergencies across the capital during the cold weather.”
“If people take simple but effective steps to protect themselves from the cold snap it could mean the difference between either their life being put at risk or their home becoming flooded. Plumbing and issues with water pipes should always be reported to a plumber in the first instance and to only call 999 in an emergency."