Fires Were Started Page #3

and I'll pick this up.

Up top! Where's that line?

Stand clear below!

OK!

- Where the hell are you going?

- Up top.

Well, stick around and

deal with this first.

Two half-hitches...

...and a clove hitch.

(Explosion)

- OK, take it away!

- Take it away!

Haul away!

Hello? Hello?

Is that 14 Local?

Is that 14 Local speaking?

This is Sub-officer Dykes speaking

from Trinidad Street.

Now take this message:

"Make the pumps up to ten."

That's right. No, don't go away.

Additional message...

(Explosion)

I say additional message:

"Order a fireboat to Alderman's Wharf."

That's right.

"Explosives involved at the fire."

All right, drop that.

Now listen...

I want you to stand by here.

Johnny, give him a hand with that.

Another length of hose over that wall.

Take the ladder and the rest of the crew,

and get your brass in

as far as possible, got that?

Now come on, lads, get to work.

Now, BA, short ladder.

I'll go and see what it looks like.

- Where you going, BA?

- Short ladder, Johnny.

This doesn't go anywhere.

We'll have to go to the top.

- BA?

- OK, John!

(Whistling incoming bomb)

(Heavy explosion)

What a windy lot of bastards we are!

That was half a mile away!

Half a mile, my foot!

- It was too close for me.

- You're telling me!

Sir, message from Trinidad Street:

"Make pumps up to ten."

Additional message:

"Order fireboat to Alderman's Wharf."

"Explosives involved at the fire.

Danger of spreading to supply ship."

Ten? He's got a hope.

We'll send him five

to get on with, anyhow.

Send a TP from V, a TP from W,

send a heavy and a TP from X.

Get District Officer Blythe

to go out, will you?

(Woman) Control here. Order a heavy

unit and trailer to Trinidad Street.

- Haven't you got any water yet?

- Not yet.

What about our water, below?

Here she comes!

- All right, up top?

- Yeah, we got a roof up here.

Up you go, Johnny,

he's got the branch on the top.

- OK now, that's enough.

- Right-o.

(Explosion)

No, no, not there!

Put it down into the scene of it there.

That's it, get hold of it.

OK.

- (Walt) Johnny, water!

- OK, Walt!

- 105!

- It's all yours!

There she goes, boys!

- Right in the corner, John!

- Aye!

Switchboard, sorry to keep you waiting.

Joan!

Thank you.

Number 14's fireboat

out to Alderman's Wharf.

Have we got anything

at Alderman's Wharf?

One quite close at Trinidad Street.

That must be the same, then.

It's low tide, too,

they'll have a devil of a job.

(Explosions)

Johnny, can you give us

a bit more on this one?

- No, I can't give you any more.

- Not 20lbs?

No, I can't give you anything at all,

there's not enough here.

Look, I tell you what we'll do.

While you're hanging about,

go down the road

and see where the nearest

open water supply is.

Where do you think that is?

I think that looks like Trinidad Street.

That's it, down below now.

- Oh, crikey!

- What the hell's wrong?

Johnny! What's the matter

with this water?

Johnny!

She's finished!

- Must've been that bomb, you know.

- I don't think so.

Look out...

(Flames intensify)

That fire seems to be getting worse.

Better give them another ring, Tom.

(Telephone rings)

OP Control. 36 OP? Yes?

Yes. Thank you.

Fire at 150 degrees

and increasing rapidly.

Right, notify anti-aircraft again.

All this lot's getting away now, because

you've not got a jet of water, see?

Look at it.

(Explosions)

- Control? What was that?

- It's a bad line, can you shout louder?

- What?

- Can't hear you at all.

Oh, yes.

- Right. Sub? Sub?

- Yes?

A Z's number 1 heavy unit

out to Ship Alley.

All right.

We're down to four, sir.

(Heavy explosions)

Johnny!

What's the matter with this water?

I've found some. That sunk barge

we saw this afternoon up the cut.

Oh, that's it! Go down the road

and stop those pumps.

- Tell them to relay the water onto us.

- Right.

Johnny!

(Fire bell ringing)

Stop! Stop!

- Where the hell are you playing at?

- Can't go down that way, sir.

No water down there,

the mains have broken.

We've got a branch on the roof we'll

have to pack up unless we get water.

I found a sunk barge in a cut down

there. We can relay it down to our heavy.

- First on the left?

- It's along that alley.

Sub-officer, take your appliances

to the first turning on the left.

Get to work! Relay water!

- Are you the officer in charge?

- Just a minute, please.

Go make an order

on a turntable ladder.

Our wharf's well alight,

what can you do for us?

I've got more appliances

coming shortly. Don't worry.

- Right.

- Stick her in there.

Water!

(Pumps speed up)

Get your jet down there into it.

You'll get it all right.

Stand by, up top!

Stand by, here she comes!

Here goes a bit of water.

No, not up there! Put it down!

Put it down into the window!

Steady my way!

Here's your water up!

OK!

- All right, George?

- It's putting some stuff through now.

- Back up.

- All right, that's it.

Oh, 14-Control, here.

We have four pumps available.

- Stand-bys are urgently required.

- Right.

Yes, that's right. Will you hold on?

(Explosion)

Stand by.

I can't hear you.

I can't hear you.

Control?

Control?

Control?

Yes, sorry for the interruption,

we have another message for you.

Our TTL is out for Trinidad Street.

Out to where? Trinidad Street.

Right. Thank you.

That's not so good, is it?

Get round the district.

Check pumps available.

- Watch room 62, please.

- Watch room 66, please.

C-District control here.

Can I have your pumps available, please?

14, how many pumps available?

Only four?

Can you hear me?

Checking your pumps available.

Ten pumps, thank you.

Will you give me your pumps available,

please?

- Sixty-six.

- Nil?

- Ten.

- Thank you.

Twenty-eight. Nil. Eighty-eight.

Nil.

- Sub, only sixty-six pumps available.

- Right, get on to Brigade Control.

"Calls still being received.

Further help required."

"Pumps available: sixty-six."

Brigade Control?

C-Charlie District Control...

...further help required.

Pumps available:
sixty-six.

Six-six. Right.

- Joan? Oh, there you are.

- Thank you.

There's nothing in D.

Five GPs at E...

C District. Sixty-six pumps available.

Further help required.

Nothing in B, nothing in A.

Er, message to Fire Control.

Reinforcements,

a hundred pumps required.

Well, how are you getting on?

C District has a rather

concentrated fire attack, sir.

I've asked for a hundred pumps

from Fire Control.

Anybody shaky?

Definitely the C-District, sir.

They're very much stressed.

Right, well, I'll go and have

a look round, and I'll let you know.

- Carry on.

- Very good, sir.

(Fire bells ringing)

(Explosions)

All right, Barrett? Where've you been?

Oh, all over.

What's it like here?

Not so clever. There's going to be some

trouble later on, I'm not kidding you.

Now, Colonel, get down below

and tell the officer in charge

that things are becoming out of hand.

Got it?

Go on, get down as quick as you can.

There's a few of them loose, John.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes