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English ‘ghost town’ to be turned into firefighter training site

A 4,410-acre site due for demolition has been leased to firefighters for training purposes

BORDON, Hampshire, England — An empty former Ministry of Defence site in England is to become a training ground for firefighters.

The site in Bordon contains 95 buildings which are set to be demolished and redeveloped for housing over the next two decades. However, the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) has leased a base inside of the 4,410-acre town, and will use it to practice firefighting for five years, reports the Basingstoke Observer.

The fire crews will be able to train to fight real blazes, running through disaster scenarios, rescue operations and refining new techniques.

“I walk around this site and words fail me,” said HFRS Academy Station Manager Tim Pringle. “Usually you have constraints on what scenarios you can run and how you can run them. Here you just walk around and see endless possibilities.”

The firefighters will be able to test ultra-high pressure lances that can pierce walls made of brick, metal and wood using a mix of water and cutting agent.

They will also test tactical ventilation techniques.

“For us, this is utopia, a site that contains virtually every conceivable building and training venue that will allow us to test our personnel, tactics and equipment,” Assistant Chief Officer Andy Bowers told the Basingstoke Observer. “What is practiced and learned on this site will save lives.”

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