Fire service anticipates 'busiest night of the year' for ASB on Bonfire Night

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue said it had been called out to 96 incidents on Bonfire Night — compared to 80 in 2020.

Fire crews are appealing for the wider public to remain safe after crews were called out to incidents involving bonfires which had “grown out of control” as well as trees that had been set on fire by stray fireworks.

SYFR added other incidents had involved cars and wheelie bins being set alight.

Matt Gillatt, area manager and head of the joint police and fire community safety department, said he didn’t want to ruin people’s fun but urged caution.

“We always want people to enjoy Bonfire Night, and we never aim to ruin anyone’s fun, but it’s really important people are careful out there,” he said. 

“This year we’re specifically asking people to stay with their bonfires, as leaving them unattended tends to end badly. 

“We’re also asking people to ensure they are sensible in how they position their fireworks, so they are away from bushes and trees.

“Finally, we’d like to ask that people bring their bins in from off the street, and let us have any information on deliberate fire-setting that they may have.”

A senior police officer said South Yorkshire Police would be taking a “no-tolerance approach” to anti-social behaviour this year.

Chief Insp Lee Carlson, said: “We want everybody to enjoy Hallowe’en and Bonfire night — we know it can be an enjoyable time of the year for most people, but for some the festivities alongside the darker nights can make them feel vulnerable.

“We want you to know that whilst the majority of people will enjoy the period without any issues, the few people that do want to cause a problem will not be tolerated and our extra officers will be there to deal with them.

“Our neighbourhood officers have already been in schools talking to young people about antisocial behaviour and the effect it can have on people living near them, as well as giving them guidance around keeping safe during dark nights.

“We hope you will all enjoy Halloween and Bonfire night and respect everybody around you. 

“We will have officers out conducting extra patrols and we are here for you if you need us.”

The force said it is asking people to check who the right service is to contact about anti-social behaviour issues but added incidents such as noise pollution are dealt with by local councils.

You can find out more about reducing arson here:https://tinyurl.com/Fire-stoppers.