Fire Service Rescues 32 Individuals from Flooded Residential Site

Thirty-two individuals were rescued by fire personnel from a residential park, an action necessitated by significant rainfall associated with Storm Bert. The Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service provided aid at Yarwell Mill, situated near Oundle, on Thursday night, subsequent to the peak of floodwaters. The major incident, which the Local Resilience Forum (LRF) had declared on Monday due to extensive flooding across the county, has now been concluded. Superintendent Steve Freeman, representing both Northamptonshire Police and the LRF, stated: “We have now made the decision to stand down the major incident but remain ready to react should the situation change.” Personnel from emergency services commenced their arrival at Yarwell around 21:00 GMT on Wednesday to assist in the evacuation of residents from the location. A rest centre has been established by the council at Oundle Library for individuals who were displaced. Firefighting teams and personnel managing the site are persistently observing the conditions, aided by the council. A water incident manager with specialized expertise conducted an assessment of the site earlier on Friday to appraise any continuing hazards. Billing Aquadrome, located in Northampton, continued to be unreachable because of extensive flooding, and residents were cautioned against returning until instructed by the site management. The LRF, comprising emergency services, local councils, and the Environment Agency, indicated its intention to move into a recovery phase during the weekend.