Fire crews attend over 200 incidents across Greater Manchester on Bonfire Night

Published 06/11/2022 · Updated 07/11/2022

Fire crews who attended over 200 incidents across Greater Manchester on busy Bonfire Night were met with abuse. During one incident in Eccles, a firework was thrown at crews who were responding to calls of an unsupervised bonfire. North West Fire Control took 308 calls between 4pm yesterday (Saturday 5 November) and 8am today (Sunday 6 November), with crews from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) attending 229 incidents.

READ MORE: Masked gun gang open fire on flat in terrifying shooting as target ‘wearing only boxer shorts’ escapes from first floor window This is up slightly compared to last year when firefighters attended 218 incidents across the region, a Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said. Despite the vast majority of people celebrating Bonfire Night safely and responsibly, there were isolated incidents where crews encountered anti-social behaviour while trying to perform their duties.

In Eccles, a firework was thrown at firefighters who were trying to extinguish an unsupervised bonfire. Fireworks were also aimed at crews responding to an incident in Crumpsall Park, Manchester. Crews from Manchester Central, Salford and Broughton stations attended an incident where a firework had reportedly been put through the letterbox of a home in Salford.

Firefighters arrived quickly and extinguished a small fire in the hallway. GMFRS Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Leon Parkes, said: “Bonfire Night is always a particularly challenging time for our fire crews. Our firefighters, alongside other emergency services, did a fantastic job keeping the public safe and I’d like to thank them for all their hard work over the weekend.

“I’d also like to thank the control room staff at North West Fire Control, who fielded hundreds of calls and did an excellent job in difficult circumstances. “Unfortunately, there were a handful of isolated incidents where crews were met with abuse and had fireworks thrown at them. Firefighters should not have to deal with anti-social behaviour while trying to keep people safe.

“Thankfully no-one was hurt but I’d like to remind the public that this behaviour is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Setting light to fires, throwing fireworks and making hoax calls can cost lives and keep our firefighters away from dealing with life-threatening incidents. “GMFRS fire safety officers have also been busy this Bonfire period, visiting businesses licensed to store fireworks to make sure they store fireworks safely.

Officers have powers to seize fireworks if they are not being stored safely and have powers to detain and remove fireworks from shops where licence conditions are not being followed. “If you are continuing to celebrate for the remainder of the weekend, please follow our advice and enjoy yourself safely and responsibly.” Further safety advice is available on the GMFRS website .

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