It is warned lives could be at risk if Portland loses one of its two fire engines in cuts due to financial pressures.

The removal of a fire engine from the Portland station will be looked into as part of a shake-up by Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS).

Under new plans, Portland, Sherborne and Wimborne may each lose one of their fire engines, pending the review in January.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) says the planned cuts will 'put homes, communities and public safety at risk'.

There are particular fears for a downgrade in cover on Portland due to its remote communities and the fact there's only one road on and off the island.

Retired firefighter and former Weymouth Town Councillor Pete Barrow said: “It is incredibly disappointing. It is one thing doing a risk assessment and saying that they can do without it and another not having the funding for it.

“You can’t pretend it is not a downgrade, so it is definitely getting worse, but it is what can be done with the money available.”

Portland councillor Jim Draper wants to see the justification for the potential cut on Portland.

He said: "I would like to have a look at the data, I would like to see their reasoning and what the current use of the fire engine is."

Mayor of Portland Sheila Miles said: “We hope that when they do review the Portland operation they will take into consideration the issue of the single road access and any complications that could be caused if the road was inaccessible for any reason and more than one appliance was needed.

South Dorset MP Lloyd Hatton said he will be meeting with the fire service to discuss the impact the changes could have.

The cuts also mean that Poole, which provides fire cover across the south of Dorset, faces losing a full-time crewed fire engine by April 2025.

There will also be no guaranteed firefighter availability between Swindon and Salisbury. Sturminster Newton, Wareham, Corsham, and Marlborough face losing an appliance by the end of September.

Val Hampshire, FBU executive council member for the south west said: “Firefighters in Dorset and Wiltshire are standing up for public and firefighter safety by opposing these dangerous cuts.

“Everyone deserves to feel safe in the knowledge that their local fire station is equipped to help them in case of a fire.

"Axing fire engines and removing night cover from stations will push the service to breaking point across the region, with scant resources spread far too thin.

“DWFRS and fire authority should focus on addressing the crisis in firefighter recruitment instead of inflicting deeper cuts.”

Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union general secretary said: “Plans to cut Dorset and Wiltshire fire and rescue service will put homes, communities and public safety at risk.

“Firefighters are already under immense pressure to keep communities safe, doing more with less. Since 2010 we have lost 1 in 5 firefighters to cuts in the UK.

“Slashing resources and downgrading fire cover means people waiting longer for help, but every second counts at a fire. The fire authority must put public safety before cost-cutting and stop these dangerous cuts."

DWFRS states that whilst these cuts are being made, there will be re-investment to help improve fire cover in needed areas, including upgrading Dorchester fire station from on-call only to on-call and wholetime.

A spokesperson for DWFRS said: “As with many public sector organisations, we are facing significant financial challenges, and we have a programme of work in place to make sure we are sustainable for the future. There is a requirement for all fire and rescue services to review their community risk profile to provide value for money services to our communities.

“Following a comprehensive fire cover review, we are looking at the position, the number and type of our resources to make sure these meet the changing risk profile across our service area – we need to make sure our resources are in the right place based on community need.”