RAF Firefighters Tackle Blaze At Middle East Base

Royal Air Force firefighters stationed at a coalition air base in the Middle East have successfully dealt with a blaze that broke out in one of its buildings.

The fire, believed to have caused by a faulty air conditioning unit, was brought under control by the four-person RAF firefighter team.

There were no casualties and there was no impact on coalition operations.

The RAF firefighters are deployed on a four-month rotation and provide firefighting cover at the coalition base. 

One personnel member who responded only recently graduated from the Defence Fire Training and Development Centre, which saw its last ever RAF firefighter recruits pass out in October, and this was their first operational deployment.

"I was excited to use the knowledge I had learned throughout my training," they said.

"I carried out search procedures to identify the fire room and carried out offensive firefighting tactics to extinguish the fire.

"The result was the fire was contained to a single room, preventing further damage to the building."

When the Royal Air Force firefighters first arrived on the scene, they were met with high levels of smoke throughout the building and had to don their breathing apparatus before carrying out a search of the building to find the fire and ensure nobody was trapped.

Another of the RAF firefighters said: "It was brilliant to be able to react and produce a successful response from an emergency service within a coalition environment. 

"This highlights the effectiveness and adaptability of the RAF Fire and Rescue Service."

The RAF firefighters are deployed to the Middle East as part of 83 Expeditionary Air Group (EAG).

The team provides fire cover for a range of different military aircraft and buildings at the coalition airbase. 

They have been regularly involved in practice exercises with the host nation to test their joint procedures. 

The area of responsibility for 83 EAG extends from the southern end of the Arabian Gulf to the Eastern Mediterranean.

Cover image: Two of the RAF firefighter team who put out the blaze at base (Picture: RAF).