'Safety First' plea from Fire Service over bonfires

The Fire and Rescue Service is appealing to the public to follow its safety advice when building or attending bonfires

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Peter Craig said: “The 11th July is always one of the busiest nights of the year for NIFRS.

“Last year Fire Crews across Northern Ireland attended 115 bonfire related incidents on the 11th and 12th July. 24 of these incidents were to bonfires which were out of control and required a NIFRS response. If bonfires are not built as safely as they possibly can be and properly supervised they can easily get out of control, endangering both life and property.

“If we are called to a bonfire it’s because somebody in that area is worried or concerned about the bonfire.”

NIFRS are urging people to adhere to the following safety advice:

• Site the bonfire well away from houses, garages and sheds

• Allow a ratio of 1:5, i.e. the distance from the bonfire to the nearest property should be 5 times the height of the bonfire

• Build the stack so that it is stable and will not collapse

• Never build a hut or den inside the bonfire

NIFRS also appealed to ‘Think Safety First’ when attending a bonfire:

• Do not burn foam filled furniture, tyres, aerosols, tins of paint or bottles

• Responsible adults should look after lighting the bonfire and check that no children or pets are hiding inside it

• Never use flammable liquids to light the fire, just domestic firelighters

• Keep everyone away from the fire

• For an emergency keep buckets of water, a garden hose or a fire extinguisher ready

• At any sign of danger or in the event of an emergency ring Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service on 999 for assistance.