Bonfire Night warning: huge blazes cause chaos for Merseyside firefighters as calls rocket
A warning has been issued to those considering starting fires across Merseyside during the Bonfire period as blazes last year posed a “serious danger to public safety and property.”
Merseyside Fire and Rescue (MFRS) has launched a campaign alongside the region’s council to ensure managed, safer control of community bonfires this year.
During the period of celebrations last year, the number of attacks on fire officers increased as they dealt with call-outs. The amount of emergency calls into the fire service across Merseyside went up by more than 50% as the service was challenged by the number of bonfires that posed a “serious risk to public safety.”
In a bid to calm this year’s events, tipper trucks began rounds across the region to collect up bonfire materials. A MFRS spokesperson said bonfires will be allowed to go-ahead providing they are managed safely in the open.
This year those organising community bonfires will be doing so in conjunction with safety advisory groups to ensure that events are regulated and so that festivities can be better planned and go ahead safely. On November 5 last year, MFRS received 51% more emergency calls than in 2023.
Anti-social and dangerous use of fireworks also rose while staff found themselves targeted. A number of bonfires were also built so large that they posed a “significant risk” to people and property around them.
Some emergency service access routes were also compromised by the size and scale of the flames. MFRS is asking residents to take simple actions to help reduce the number of deliberate fires involving wheelie bins, bonfires and rubbish, known as secondary fires.
These can prevent firefighters from responding to emergencies and potentially-life threatening incidents. Additionally, secondary fires can spread quickly and put lives and nearby properties at risk.
A spokesperson for MFRS said: “We want to ensure that everyone can enjoy the bonfire period safely and without risk of injury to themselves or damage to property. On November 5 we generally adopt a tolerant approach towards bonfires which are managed safely – if they are in the open, supervised by adults and under control we do not extinguish them.
“However, last year, the sheer size of some of the bonfires at some sites in Merseyside posed a serious risk to public safety. We have been working closely with local councils, neighbourhood teams, Merseyside Police and community bonfire organisers to ensure that the size of the bonfires does not get out of hand and present a risk to the safety of the public, our firefighters and other emergency services.
“We will work together to ensure that associated events have effective crowd management in place, so safety routes are not compromised, and if emergency response is required access is not hindered.”