FIRE chiefs have urged the public to be vigilant during adverse weather conditions following a number of flood-related callouts over the weekend.

While firefighters have insisted they will respond to any and all emergency callouts, they are asking people to take extra care during periods of flooding so everyone can stay safe.

The plea comes after an engine flooded during a rescue on Saturday, which saw firefighters from Carlisle East, Carlisle West, Longtown and Penrith called to search for two missing canoes near Alston.

Following the rescue firefighters at Carlisle East confirmed that the gearbox of one of their appliances had been flooded during the rescue and that it would be out of action while repairs took place.

A Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) spokesman said: “Responding to avoidable call-outs inevitably drains significant fire service resources and prevents crews from attending genuine incidents and carrying out important safety and community work.

“Whilst CFRS responds to any and all emergency calls, we’d urge people to check weather conditions and forecasts to determine their activity and travel routes.”

The spokesman added: “Members of the public should never attempt to walk or drive through flood water as there may be hidden obstacles and it is not always possible to know the depth of the water.”

The fire service has confirmed that the appliance has been out of action while repairs take place.

“A replacement appliance is currently in operation, therefore there is no impact on coverage for Carlisle and surrounding areas,” the spokesman continued.

Crews from Carlisle East and West fire stations and Longtown were also called to Rickerby Park in the early hours of Sunday morning to rescue two adults and two children who were stuck in a taxi that was stranded in floodwater.

The drama unfolded at about 12.30am and saw crews use swift water rescue skills to bring all those stranded to safety.

No one came to any harm in this incident but the family was checked over by paramedics.

Flood warnings remained in place for parts of Cumbria yesterday following heavy rain at the weekend.

A flood warning - the second highest level of alert - was still in place for Keswick Campsite last night while two alerts are in force. They cover the upper river Derwent, Stonethwaite Beck and Derwentwater and the rivers Brathay, Rothay and Winster in the south of the county.

The warning for Keswick Campsite states that it expects the warning to be removed at some point this morning.

Yesterday Carlisle’s Rickerby Park remained flooded following heavy downpours on Saturday. The Met Office predicts that Carlisle will be overcast today, with high temperatures of 11 degrees.