Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service share safety tips ahead of bonfire night
The Service is asking people to consider their neighbours when celebrating at home
Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service are urging families in the North East to put safety first when celebrating Halloween and Bonfire Night.
The Service tell us they'll see a rise in incidents as people celebrate Halloween and Bonfire Night. From October to November last year they saw around 700 fires that were related to fireworks or antisocial behaviour.
Steve Thomas, the Head of Prevention and Education for Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, said: "I think the important things to consider is the size of your bonfire. It's proximity to anything else that can catch fire, and having something on hand that you could use to put it out if it started to go a little bit wrong. So, having buckets of water or a hose pipe ready just in case it's always a good idea. "
"In terms of fireworks, we would really like it if people were buying fireworks from registered Legal UK approved certified fireworks ptoviders. So we know they meet the health and safety standards that are expected in the UK.
And that reduces the risks of them going off in a way that you weren't expecting. So the fuse isn't going off before you'd expect them to or it not flying in the direction that you would expect.
If you are lighting fireworks, try and keep them away from anything that is flammable, so keep them away from fences or dried hedges. If you've got Halloween decorations up things that look like ghosts or ghouls with light material around them, then obviously be considerate to the fact that they are flammable."
"If you've lit a firework, then stand back from it. Most garden fireworks we would suggest standing back around 8 to 10 metres from and once you've lit one, don't go back to it.
The last thing we would ask people to consider is Your neighbours and the people that are around you, so be considerate of their needs.
If you've got elderly people living close to you, people with pets, if you are going to have a display, at least talk to them in advance. Let them know what is going to happen, when it's going to happen so that they can plan and prepare for it. "
"We really want the community of Tyne and Wear to enjoy the bonfire period, but we'd like you to do it carefully and considerately of your neighbours and the fire service."