An “urgent investigation” is needed into the state of the fire service following its response to a major Isle of Wight hotel fire earlier this month, an Isle of Wight councillor has said.
East Cowes independent Councillor Karl Love wrote to Karen Lucioni, the Alliance chair of the environment and community protection committee, County Hall officers and council leader Phil Jordan following the 18th October 2025 Cygnet Hotel fire.
A “scrapheap challenge”
In a statement last week, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said five fire engines had to be ferried across the Solent to the Isle of Wight to provide cover as a “slow and scrambled” response to the blaze unfolded.
The FBU said the Sandown emergency saw a “scrapheap challenge” approach to running a fire service with firefighters “forced to scrape together resources”.
Love: The FBU report suggests our Island is currently exposed
Councillor Love’s email, which was sent to all Isle of Wight councillors, said,
“An urgent investigation into this by yourself and Silver Group, our emergency planning team, needs to be conducted because this (FBU) report suggests our Island is currently exposed to significant dangers, unable to respond effectively to incidents on our Island.
“What mitigations are now going to be put in place to address these matters?
“Councillors and the general public need to be reassured now of the actions being taken to address these matters. It makes the replacement of the New East Cowes Fire Station even more urgent to be built.”
In September, the Isle of Wight Council granted Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) consent to build a replacement station on East Cowes’s York Avenue.
Hunt: A “scrapheap challenge approach”
Dave Hunt, FBU brigade secretary for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, previously said,
“What we saw on 18th October was a scrapheap challenge approach to running a fire service – firefighters were forced to scrape together resources which should be on hand day and night.
“There are supposed to be 11 fire engines on the Isle of Wight – but due to cuts most of those sit empty. We are now facing yet more cuts to firefighter numbers. That will make things even worse.
“Residents on the Isle of Wight have a right to expect that if a fire happens, the right amount of help will come in the right amount of time. Clearly, they can’t count on that.”
Cole: We acknowledge the FBU’s concerns
Responding to the FBU, HIWFRS’s assistant chief fire officer Rob Cole said,
“On receiving the first 999 call, two fire engines and an Aerial Ladder Platform were mobilised to the incident immediately, with the first fire engine arriving at scene in seven minutes 54 seconds.
“Five minutes after the initial call a third fire engine was mobilised as repeat calls were received within fire control.
“All the resources needed to respond to the incident, bar one fire engine, came from Island stations.
“Moving fire engines to provide fire cover to an area where local resources are dealing with a large incident is standard practice for all fire services across the UK.
“We acknowledge the FBU’s concerns about government funding, as the cost of delivering our vital services has surpassed the funding we receive.”
He added HIWFRS was working with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) to “advocate for increased funding from central government”.
Leaders speak out
Chair of the environment and community protection committee Karen Lucioni and County Hall leader Phil Jordan, both part of the Alliance group, have now spoken out after the Fire Brigades Union’s (FBU) statement last week on the Cygnet Hotel blaze.
Councillor Jordan said the chief fire officer will be asked to “report directly” to councillors shortly which he added will include outlining how any improvements are being “planned and implemented”. He said,
“Public safety is absolutely our top priority, but I do completely understand why people are concerned, especially after such a serious fire in Sandown.
“Our emergency plans are robust, well-tested, and designed to handle major incidents – even if more than one were to happen at the same time.
“The Isle of Wight works very closely with Hampshire fire and rescue services, and extra crews and equipment can be sent across quickly whenever needed – and that system works. Priority access to the ferries is also guaranteed through previous arrangements.
“Island residents and businesses can be confident that their fire and rescue service is capable, coordinated, and ready to respond effectively when it matters most.”
Lucioni: Increasingly evident that our fire and rescue services are underfunded
Councillor Lucioni said,
“As the Isle of Wight representative tasked with holding the fire chief accountable, including the critical issue of resilience on the Island, I remain steadfast in my commitment to this role.
“However, it is increasingly evident that our fire and rescue services are underfunded, and I and my other Fire Authority members have urged the government to reevaluate the funding formula.
“We witnessed the commendable rapid response of our firefighters, who mobilised two fire engines and an Aerial Ladder Platform within minutes of the first 999 call.
“Their dedication ensured that no one was injured, even as they bravely navigated the complexities of the situation, including the potential presence of a rough sleeper.
“It is crucial to recognise that while most resources came from our Island stations, our local services rely heavily on adequate funding to continue providing exceptional service and maintaining our community’s safety.”
Photo at top for illustrative purposes only
Article edit
9.25am 29th Oct 2025 – PJ and KL comment added
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
