Fire Services Urge Public Caution and Respect Ahead of Bonfire Weekend

Fire services have urged the public to refrain from igniting their own fireworks and from mistreating emergency personnel, as they anticipate their busiest period of the year. Shaun Kelly, from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, stated that the Bonfire Night weekend is “substantially” more demanding for his team compared to other times. “We’ll have fire appliances all over Tyne and Wear and those appliances will be in and out all night,” he said. Concurrently, Steve Helps, the chief fire officer for County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, appealed to individuals to avoid abusing firefighters this weekend. Mr. Kelly advised members of the public to attend organized fireworks displays instead of attempting do-it-yourself setups. “[Organised] displays are going to be very safe as they will have been risk assessed and the quality of the fireworks is going to be much better,” he said. The service typically experiences a “massive surge” in emergency calls during Bonfire Night and Diwali celebrations. Crews also respond to a significantly higher number of deliberate fires than usual, he noted. These incidents range from people attempting to build their own bonfires to individuals who steal wheelie bins and set their contents ablaze. Mr. Helps implored the public not to be “one of the minority” that spoils Bonfire Night for the majority. He reported that since April, his team’s firefighters have been attacked seven times with fireworks, rocks, and bottles during callouts, often by young people. “No-one goes to work to be assaulted,” he said. “I strongly recommend people sit down with their children and remind them their actions have consequences.” For updates, follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor, and Instagram. Story ideas can be sent to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external sites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available.