3rd August 2026 - From Wildfires to Wembley

From Wildfires to Wembley: A Weekend of Service, Fellowship and Music

Members of Prince of Wales Lodge No. 951 are often to be found in many different places, doing many different things. Some weekends that might mean attending Lodge, supporting local charities, spending time with family, or simply enjoying a well-earned evening of music and good company.

The weekend of 31 July to 3 August 2026 was a perfect example of that variety.

While some of our members were out enjoying live music across the country, one of our Past Masters was spending his nights supporting the national response to the major wildfires in Suffolk as part of the National Resilience Enhanced Logistics Support team.

Jason, Sarah and family were at Wembley enjoying Luke Combs, although Jason’s evening apparently included the unexpected drama of having his walking stick temporarily confiscated, proving that even country music comes with its own hazards.

Ben was in Cardiff for the Sex Pistols’ 50th anniversary tour, supported by The Undertones and The Stranglers, which by all accounts became something of a nostalgia festival for his auntie, as these were the bands she had grown up listening to.

Meanwhile, Giles and Jen were in Halifax at The Piece Hall watching Paradise Lost and Katatonia, enjoying a very different but equally memorable musical experience.

But while the music played in Wembley, Cardiff and Halifax, one of our members was working through the night in Suffolk, playing a quiet but vital role in the response to a major emergency.

Between 31 July and 3 August 2026, Dom Lane had the privilege of deploying as part of the National Resilience Enhanced Logistics Support team in support of the major wildfires in Suffolk.

Working the 7.30pm to 7.30am night shifts, his role was to provide the logistical backbone to a large-scale national response. The incident remained at 12 pumping appliances, 24 hours a day, requiring continuous support to ensure firefighters from across England could be deployed, relieved and cared for safely and efficiently.

While operational crews battled the wildfire on the front line, the Enhanced Logistics Support team coordinated the movement of personnel and vehicles, organised accommodation and welfare, maintained accountability of national assets and ensured that crews arriving from multiple Fire and Rescue Services could integrate smoothly into the incident.

It was demanding work, undertaken at very short notice, but it demonstrated the strength of National Resilience and the remarkable ability of Fire and Rescue Services to work together as one team.

One of the greatest privileges of the deployment was working alongside firefighters and support staff from across the country. Although many had never met before, there was an immediate sense of trust, professionalism and shared purpose. Everyone understood that success depended not on individual recognition, but on collective effort.

Reflecting on the deployment, Dom recognised how closely the experience mirrored the principles that Freemasonry has instilled in him over many years.

The values of integrity, friendship, respect and service are not simply words spoken within the Lodge. They are principles that shape character and guide how we conduct ourselves in everyday life. Freemasonry reinforces the importance of humility, supporting others without seeking recognition, and understanding that leadership is often found in quiet service rather than public acclaim.

During those long nights, coordinating crews, solving problems and helping ensure firefighters had the support they needed, he found himself drawing upon those same values. Whether in the Lodge or in service to the public, the underlying principles remain remarkably similar: placing others before yourself, working with honesty and compassion, and contributing to something greater than any one individual.

As a proud member and Past Master of Prince of Wales Lodge No. 951, Dom was honoured to represent not only Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, but also the values that Freemasonry encourages us to live by.

Public service has always been central to his life, from his military career through to the Fire and Rescue Service, and he firmly believes that the moral lessons learned through Freemasonry have helped shape the person and leader he strives to be.

The Suffolk wildfires were a reminder that behind every successful emergency response is a team of dedicated people working together with professionalism, trust and selfless commitment. He is grateful to have played a small part in that effort and proud to have served alongside colleagues from Fire and Rescue Services across England.

There is something very special about a Lodge whose members can be found in so many different places on the same weekend: some singing along in packed concert venues, some revisiting the soundtrack of their youth, some discovering new memories with family and friends, and some quietly serving others in the small hours of the morning.

That is fellowship in its broadest sense. It is not just what happens within the Lodge room, but how we live our lives outside it.

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

That sentiment perfectly captures both the spirit of National Resilience and the enduring values of Freemasonry. Whether in public service, family life, friendship, charity, or fellowship, the members of Prince of Wales Lodge continue to show that our principles are not merely spoken, they are lived.