Fire crews attended 270 bonfire night incidents as anti-social behaviour spiked

Fire crews attended 270 incidents across Greater Manchester, as anti-social behaviour erupted on bonfire night.

North West Fire Control (NWFC), who take calls for the service, handled 478 calls on Bonfire Night, with crews attending 270 incidents. Both figures are up on 2023, when 277 calls were received and fire crews were mobilised to 178 incidents.

Incidents attended included many uncontrolled or unattended bonfires. There were also several isolated instances of anti-social behaviour with police helping to control this.

This included on Vine Street in Gorton where people were found to be lighting a fire on waste ground and throwing fireworks and missiles, causing damage to the surrounding area. When GMFRS crews attended alongside GMP all crews were unfortunately targeted with fireworks. Thankfully no injuries were sustained.

Sarah Nattrass, GMFRS’s Assistant Chief Fire Officer, said: “I saw firsthand the tireless work our crews carried out over Bonfire Night. They worked incredibly hard to deal with fires in often tough conditions.

“It is regrettable to see once again our crews just trying to do their jobs be targeted by anti-social behaviour, risking causing serious injuries to our firefighters and our emergency service partners.

“However, it is only a very small number who engage in this abhorrent behaviour, and I would like to thank the vast majority of residents who take part in Bonfire Night safely and engage positively with our firefighters if needed.”

Kate Green, Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester for Safer and Stronger Communities, said: “The Bonfire period is always an extremely busy one for our fire service and one that is dealt with very positively, despite the often challenging circumstances.

“The crews I joined in east Manchester on Bonfire Night did an immensely impressive job in keeping our communities safe and I am incredibly proud of them.

“Any act of violence or intimidation towards our emergency services will never be tolerated and we will support Greater Manchester Police in investigating any of these incidents.”