Problems facing firefighters called out to fight a blaze on St Michael's Mount will be the focus of a full scale exercise on Saturday.

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service and the National Trust are staging the full scale joint exercise at St Michael’s Mount from 9.30am on March 21 to test the effectiveness of the St Michael’s Mount fire plan, developed by the fire service in conjunction with St Michael's Moun staff.

The exercise will involve fire crews and appliances from Penzance, St Just, Hayle, Camborne, Helston and St Ives. As the tide will be out at the time of the exercise, appliances can drive over the causeway to reach the mount.

Assistant chief Fire Officer Phil Martin said: Elements of the plan were tested last summer including working in partnership with the RNLI in utilising the Penlee lifeboat from Newlyn in transporting crews across to the island when the tides is in, training of mount staff and a review of the firefighting equipment on the island.

“The island location of St Michael’s Mount creates some unique issues in terms of an emergency response. The service has worked with the National Trust who take their responsibilities in preventing fire very seriously.

"As part of our pre-planning for an emergency Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service has worked closely with the National Trust, the St Aubyn family and staff at St Michael’s Mount to develop an effective fire plan which identifies ways of overcoming specific and unique problems. This is what we will be testing on Saturday”.

The exercise will take place at low tide, enabling CFRS to test the practicalities of transporting fire appliances and a large number of fire fighters across to the island.

Fire crews will then set up safe systems of work, including the Incident Command Unit, test the effectiveness of water supplies and try out different methods of transporting equipment to the top of the hill.