Fire service calls for safety in private Bonfire Night celebrations
FIREFIGHTERS face “a step into the dark” on Bonfire Night as a blanket ban on public bonfires and firework displays potentially stokes a greater appetite for private events.
Niall MacLennan, the Inverness-based group commander for prevention and protection in Highland, the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland, is urging the public to carefully plan any garden celebrations.
November 6 brings a yearly surge in emergency call-outs. Across Scotland in 2019, fire crews dealt with 2300 deliberate fires in four weeks surrounding the celebration.
In only eight hours on Bonfire Night itself, those crews reacted to 882 emergency calls and attended 350 unsafe bonfires.
In Inverness and the wider Highlands, statistics tend to be far less galling, but Mr MacLennan (49), with 19 years’ service in many fire brigade roles, is warning against complacency.
“Normally, we would urge the public to attend public events, but given Covid-19 restrictions this year it is a bit of a step into the dark for us,” he admitted. “There is an expectation that there probably will be an increase in private events, primarily in gardens.
“There is the potential for increased demands on Scottish fire and rescue services. It is a big departure from what we’ve been working towards. We’ve simply never had a set of circumstances like this before.
“Without the fantastic events like the annual Inverness display this year, we’re not quite sure how people will react.
“We would just ask people who wish to have private events to plan carefully, research and adhere to all safety instructions, and do their utmost to avoid anything that might require fire and rescue assistance.
“As always, we’re ready and prepared, but there is an element of the unknown this year.”
Mr MacLennan’s force has worked closely with Highland Council and the police on initiatives aimed at reducing the likelihood of emergency calls, including removal of combustible materials left unattended in various parts of the city.
“We don’t want to be killjoys, but if people are intent on having bonfires it needs to be done in an extremely responsible manner. Otherwise, it could go wrong with very serious implications,” Mr MacLennan stressed.
Full safety guidelines for fireworks and bonfires are available on the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s website.
The service has also supplied every school in the Highlands and Islands with safety information, with young people statistically at greatest risk of harm.
