Fire crew forced to push parked car out of way

Firefighters had to push a parked car out of their way while attending an incident on Saturday.

Members of Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service were in Avoncliff, near Bath, providing support at a police incident. A spokesman for the service explained that the parked vehicle had slowed their departure from the scene.

The firefighters were able to push the car to the side of the road, clearing the three-metre width needed for their vehicle to get through. A local woman managed to take a picture of the manoeuvre, which happened around 2pm.

A fire service spokesman said: “The parked car didn’t impact our arrival on the scene but was an issue when we were trying to leave, firefighters were able to manually push the vehicle to the side. We would remind drivers that at least 3m clearance is needed for a fire appliance to get through safely.”

Even the smallest fire appliance needs the width of two cars to pass safely.

According to the fire service, roads near schools are often difficult to pass through safely, especially when cars are dropping off or picking up children.

Advice to drivers when parking includes pulling in wing mirrors, don’t park too close to corners, make sure your wheels are straight and you are as close to the kerb as possible.