At 5am on Wednesday a shoe salesman and a landscape gardener were among those called to help fight the Saddleworth Moor fire that had been raging for three days.
The crew at Holmfirth Fire Station encompasses full time firefighters as well as 'retained' crew - firefighters with other day jobs that remain on call should they be needed.
They have been battling the moorland blaze, alongside crews from neighbouring stations, for the last three days. They went up again at 5am today.
One full-time Holmfirth crew member has described what it is like to be on the front line of the Saddleworth Moor firefight and highlighted the commitment shown by his 'retained' colleagues.
"These are a group of men and women willing to go up on to the moor, when they are no longer on call, to protect their community and the environment," he said.
"The level of commitment they are showing - to sacrifice their normal jobs and family time - is epic."
Holmfirth Fire Station have been allocated an area of moorland above Dovestone Reservoir to tackle. Crew Commander Lunn is responsible for the tactical planning of the crew's operation.
"We meet at the rendezvous point at Chew Damn, just above Dovestones, at 5am each day," explained one crew member.
"We then proceed on foot for 1km across the moorland carrying all our equipment, food for the day and a backpack of filled with water."
They don't return to the rendezvous point until their shift ends at 3.30pm.
Included in their equipment is a fast damn - a kind of large paddling pool that can be used to store water in remote locations. This is filled by helicopters transporting water from nearby damns.
Hand hoses run from the fast damn and are used by the crew to beat back the flames.
The situation on the moor has improved recently according to one crew member.
“At the moment the wind is in our favour. It’s blowing the right way, back against the fire so it doesn't spread.
“We’ve created natural fire breaks on the moor by digging gullies and then drenching the soil with water.
“When the fire reaches these boundaries it should burn itself out."
Interested in becoming a retained firefighter? Please contact your local fire station or drop in.
Holmfirth Fire Station: 01484 682 482
Alternatively visit: http://www.westyorksfire.gov.uk/careers/become-a-firefighter/
