Bonfire Night keeps firefighters occupied
Despite the fact that in some areas of the country such as Greater Manchester there were fewer reported fire-related incidents than in recent years, many fire crews were as busy as always.
In South Yorkshire, firefighters were called to more than 200 separate incidents across the region. Although most of these were for minor situations the control room still had to deal with plenty of calls.
A spokeswoman for South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said:
“The majority of these were small jobs, controlling bonfires that had got out of control, small fires caused by fireworks and so on.
“It all kept our crews very busy but fortunately there were no really serious problems.”
Fire crews in Wales also found they were inundated with calls for help with over 70 emergency incidents across Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Neath Port Talbot over the weekend.
Firefighters had to respond to 45 outdoor fires across the region which needed to be tackled, while 30 incidents were found to be false alarms.
A spokesman for Mid and West Wales Fire Service said:
“The majority of calls were in the Aberavon area of Port Talbot and the Blaenymaes, Townhill and Hafod areas of Swansea.
“There were two incidents on Friday in the Llanelli area.
“We had 75 calls — 45 of which we took action on.”
Now Bonfire Night is over it is still important to consider fire risk, whether having a bonfire in the garden or ensuring there are working fire alarms in the home.
Firefighters in Northern Ireland respond to 277 Halloween calls
It has been confirmed today that the fire service in Northern Ireland responded to 277 emergency calls on the 31st of October this year, which is slightly up on last Halloween.
However, despite the rise in figures, there were actually fewer call-outs for the fire service to deal with than the average for Halloween in recent years.
Most of the calls across Northern Ireland involved bonfires, rubbish and gorse fires, with a call every 90 seconds at the peak period.
A fire service spokesman said that firefighters were able to carry out their duties effectively this year with hardly any disturbances to report.
Fire service area commander Dale Ashford explained how there had been a concerted effort towards planning for this time of year when fire safety is of paramount importance.
He said:
“We put an awful amount of effort into getting that safety message out there.
“Our crews and our districts and areas spend a lot of time engaging with the community and explaining the safety message and asking them to try and have fun in a safe way.
“Hopefully, it is the case that the message is getting across.”
While fire safety is important all year round, when fireworks and bonfires are involved the fire risk increases. This is why it is necessary to ensure you homes and businesses are protected from fire.
Fire chief warns public ahead of Bonfire Night
With Bonfire Night just a day away, a senior figure in the fire service have warned those celebrating the event that it is safer to go to an organised fireworks display rather than holding a party at home.
This call comes in the wake of a rise in firework-related injuries over the past few years, especially amongst those who are under-16. And now it has been said that it won’t be long till there are more serious injuries from fireworks at amateur displays.
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service’s chief fire officer, Andy Marles, said:
“Every year, crews from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service spend a great deal of time responding to calls caused by the misuse of fireworks, and it’s only a matter of time before someone gets seriously injured.
“We want people to celebrate this year’s Bonfire Night in the safest way possible, and are encouraging them to attend organised public firework displays in their area, which are much safer, more entertaining and much more cost effective.
“However, we are also reminding those people who will continue to buy fireworks for private displays, to always rigorously follow the Fireworks Code and abide by the Fireworks Regulations.”
If you are going to have a fireworks display at home, always remember the fire risk and take all necessary precautions.
Runcorn residents warned over arson attacks
The Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service have made a public plea for the people of Runcorn to take extra care after an increase in the number of wheelie bin arson attacks in the town.
It has been revealed that six wheelie bins have been set alight by arsonists within the past month in an area near Liskeard Close, Palacefields.
The fire station manager for Runcorn, Sean Henshaw, has now asked that residents think very carefully about how their wheelie bins are stored around their property due to fire risk. This is also an issue for local businesses too, as rubbish is often stored by their premises until it is taken away.
Mr Henshaw said:
“We would just like people to take extra care.
“Where possible try to store wheelie bins in a secured area away from property and fences. Also, it is a good idea to put your bin out on the morning of collection rather than the night before.”
The arson reduction manager for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, Colin Heyes, added:
“We really would like people to be on their guard and report anyone they see lighting fires.
“This sort of crime is extremely dangerous, often putting the lives of the public and firefighters at considerable risk.
“It also takes up a lot of valuable time and resources.
“We would therefore urge anyone with information about this sort of behaviour to report it by calling Crimestoppers, which can be done anonymously, on 0800 555 111.”
Conveyor belt catches fire at clay plant in Devon market town
Part of a conveyor belt at a clay processing plant in Newton Abbot was destroyed by fire recently with fire crews called to the scene.
Firefighters from the civil parish in the Teignbridge District of Devon arrived at the Sibelco-run East Gold Works in Kingsteignton Road to extinguish the flames using a hose-reel jet and covering jet.
The alarm was raised around 2am by a night-shift worker as the building began to fill with thick black smoke due to the burning of the glass fibre casing covering the belt. However, the fire was not too serious in the end and the firefighters successfully avoided any danger.
A spokesman for the fire service, Tony Jones, said:
“It looked worse than it was because when we arrived we saw black smoke coming from the top-storey vent.
“But it was actually quite a small fire just affecting the belt which will have to be replaced.”
There has been an investigation into the fire which is thought to have been started accidentally and the company are now looking into fire risk at their site.
A spokesman for Sibelco said:
“The fire brigade were on site for approximately 90 minutes before declaring the situation safe and handing the site back over to Sibelco personnel.
“Sibelco have already commenced a full investigation to identify the root cause so that any lessons learned can be implemented to avoid any further incidents.”