Fire Engines Attacked with Bricks and Fireworks

Fire engines were subjected to an assault involving thrown fireworks and bricks, an incident labeled “disgusting.” According to the County Durham and Darlington fire service, crews faced four instances of fireworks being hurled, and two engines sustained damage from a brick and “other missiles” during Bonfire Night. Although no injuries were reported, Chief Fire Officer Steve Helps stated that one of the fire engines had to be withdrawn from service, which could potentially extend response times. He further mentioned that video evidence from the service’s CCTV and body-worn cameras has been provided to Durham Police. “It’s especially disgusting to attack the very people in our community whose job it is to keep people safe,” he commented. “In the event of a fire, a few minutes difference in arrival time can mean everything and incidents like this could have a real impact on us reaching the people who genuinely need us most.” The fire service noted that Bonfire Night consistently presents a high workload for its crews, and this year they processed 170 calls solely between 17:00 GMT and 20:00.