Fireworks thrown at Greater Manchester fire crews as over 200 incidents attended on Bonfire Night
The number of incidents attended is up from last year
Last updated 6th Nov 2022
The Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) say they attended over 200 incidents across the region on Bonfire Night.
North West Fire Control took 308 calls between 4pm yesterday (Saturday 5 November) and 8am today (Sunday 6 November), with crews from GMFRS attending 229 incidents in total.
They say this is up from last year's figure of 218 incidents attended.
The service had been running their #BangOutOfOrder campaign to help prevent and tackle anti-social behaviour, criminal damage and other harm during the Halloween and Bonfire period.
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.
Meanwhile, 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 of the property.
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.”
Safety advice can be found on their website - https://www.manchesterfire.gov.uk/your-safety/campaigns/bangoutoforder/