On 17 February 2026, the Isles of Scilly Fire and Rescue Service was delayed in responding to a fire on St Mary’s due to inconsiderate parking near the Fire Station.
The vehicle required to deal with the fire was prevented from exiting the Industrial Estate until a car could be moved out of its path. Luckily, in this case, nobody was harmed as a result of the delay, and the fire was brought under control before any substantial damage was caused. However, it serves as a timely reminder that poor parking can pose a risk to life and make the jobs of our emergency service teams more difficult, especially when they are already working with limited resources.
The Highway Code ‘waiting and parking’ rules state:
‘DO NOT stop or park anywhere you would prevent access for Emergency Services.’
We ask that all motorists remember this when considering where and how to park their vehicles, in order to ensure that the emergency services can always get around the islands unobstructed. The fire appliance for St Mary’s is approximately 2.5 metres wide by 7.9 metres long, and requires more space to manoeuvre in tight spaces and narrow streets than many people realise.
In light of the limited space available for all road users on the islands, we additionally ask everyone to keep the following advice in mind:
- do not park in front of emergency service access points
- park as close to the kerb as possible
- park straight, with wheels straight, and fold in mirrors
- only park on one side of the road in narrow streets
- do not park too close to corners, junctions or traffic calming measures
We appreciate it can be difficult to park in Hugh Town at present, but we really do need everyone to consider the needs of emergency services (and those relying on them) when parking vehicles. Remember: every second counts when someone calls for help in an emergency!