Fire chiefs ‘concerned’ about dangers of home Bonfire Night celebrations

Fire service chiefs are ‘concerned’ about the dangers of greater numbers of people setting off fireworks at home this Bonfire Night after the coronavirus pandemic caused official events to be cancelled.

Dozens of popular fireworks events which would normally attract hundreds of thousands of people across Greater Manchester won’t be going ahead this year due to restrictions around large gatherings and social distancing.

Bonfire Night and the weekend closest to it are normally frantic days for the region’s emergency services, with previous incidents of youths throwing fireworks and nuisance fires.

Last year – when organised events were up and running – firefighters responded to more than 200 incidents in just over five hours. 

They were attacked and had fireworks thrown at them on several occasions. 

The boss of the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) is urging people to give this year a miss, and not buy fireworks or light a bonfire at home.

However, speaking at a Mayoral press conference on Friday (30 October), Baroness Beverley Hughes, whose deputy Mayor portfolio includes fire and policing, said there are ‘concerns’ about how it will play out this Thursday.

“Unfortunately, there are accidents and injuries every Bonfire Night somewhere in Greater Manchester so the fact that people can’t go to organised events which are generally much safer is of concern,” she said. 

“What we’ve done about that is intensify the messaging that we’re doing both through the mainstream media but also particularly on social media about the dangers – helping people to think about how they can take extra care.”

 

 

Baroness Hughes added there would be extra capacity put in place within the fire service and other emergency services on Bonfire Night and the weekend to deal with incidents.

“The ambulance service and the police all prepare for eventualities to occur of one sort or another that day so they’ll all be on alert on Bonfire Night and through that weekend to be able to respond effectively to whatever need there is,” she said.

Chief fire officer Dan Russell said: “The bonfire period will be as busy as ever with the expectation that more families and households will opt to host their own small firework display due to organised events having been cancelled.

“Our advice would be to not have fireworks and bonfires this year – instead, stay at home, stay safe and protect our emergency services. 

“If you do choose to purchase fireworks, you must do so safely by checking for the CE mark, and you must follow the Fireworks Code when using them.

“Bonfires can be dangerous if not managed correctly and they cause problems for our emergency services.

“It’s more important than ever that people across Greater Manchester celebrate this autumn safely and responsibly.”

The GMFRS has published a series of guidelines for people wanting to host their own bonfire event, which adhere to the Firework Safety Code.

They said that bonfires should be 18 metres from buildings, trees, fences, overhead cables and car parking areas and only clean, dry timber should be burned.

Bonfires should be no more than three metres in height, and spectators should stay five metres away.

Buckets of water should be kept nearby in case of an emergency and to damp down afterwards.

People wishing to set off fireworks at home should only buy pyrotechnics marked ‘CE’, and light them at arms length using a taper.

Once lit people should stand well back and never go back to a lit firework, or throw it. 

People are urged to check official advice on the website Safe4Autumn.com if they are planning their own home Bonfire Night celebration.

Charlotte Green, Local Democracy Reporter