“Stay safe and respect our firefighters” – GMFRS’ message ahead of Bonfire weekend
Update Tuesday November 5 10am
Crews from across the Service have attended a variety of incidents overnight. These incidents involved bin fires and unattended bonfires.
At 6.51pm yesterday evening (Monday 4 November) a crew from Hyde attended an incident involving a bin on fire in Victoria Park, Denton. Crews were in attendance for approximately 20 minutes.
At 7.03pm firefighters were called to a bonfire in French Barn Lane, Manchester. A crew from Blackley attended the incident and provided the adults in attendance with safety advice. Firefighters were in attendance for approximately five minutes.
At 7.22pm a crew from Salford attended a fire in the open in Blackfriars Road, Salford. Firefighters used a bucket of water and a scotty pack to extinguish the fire. Firefighters were in attendance for approximately 30 minutes.
At 11.17pm firefighters from Sale attended an incident involving a large unattended bonfire in Carrington Lane, Manchester. Firefighters used two hose reels to extinguish the fire and were in attendance for around 40 minutes.
Despite crews getting these incidents under control quickly, this is a waste of our firefighters’ valuable time.
GMFRS would urge members of the public to think before acting and if you are planning to host your own event read over the safety messages on our website.
Update Monday November 4 10.30am
Yesterday firefighters attended multiple small fires, including bin fires and fires in the open, across Greater Manchester caused by anti-social behaviour.
Some of these incidents included:
At 2.33pm GMFRS were called to reports of three youths throwing fireworks at one another on a field in Flash Street, Manchester. A crew from Phillips Park attended and was on the scene for approximately 15 minutes.
At 10.17pm a crew from Whitefield were called to Dalebeck Walk, Whitefield where an out of control bonfire had been started by five youths. Firefighters were in attendance for approximately 7 minutes and provided safety advice to those at the scene.
GMFRS was also called yesterday at around 4pm to reports of four youths trapped on a sandbank in the middle of the River Irwell in Littleton Road, Salford. The water was fast flowing and the sandbank was also located near a weir. The boat unit was launched to safely rescue the youths. Fire engines from Salford and Agecroft, the Technical Response Unit from Leigh and water units from Eccles and Heywood all attended the scene. People are urged to keep away from open water, and to always act responsibly.
Update Sunday November 3 10am
Firefighters were called to attend several nuisance fires last night (November 2).
These included:
Crews were called at 5.40pm to a park in Ashton Old Road, Manchester to reports a firework had been thrown at a tree and the tree was on fire. One crew from Ashton attended and was on the scene for around 15 minutes.
GMFRS was called to Ashton Heath, Ashton-In-Makerfield, Wigan at around 8.50pm last night to reports of a fire in the open. It was also reported that fireworks were being thrown and youths were hiding in the woods. One crew from Wigan attended and was on the scene for around 15 minutes.
At 9.36pm firefighters were called to Gotherage Lane, Romiley in Stockport to report of a small fire in a play park and that fireworks were potentially being lit. One fire engine from Marple attended and was on the scene for around ten minutes.
Update Saturday November 2 9.30am
GMFRS was called to several nuisance fires last night.
We would like to thank the members of the public who have been enjoying themselves responsibly and to everyone for their support at this busy time of year.
Some of the incidents attended include on November 1 include:
- GMFRS was called to to Carisbrook Street, Manchester at around 5pm to reports of a fire in the open. Youths were on the scene and it was reported they had been heard mentioning throwing petrol on to the flames. One crew from Philips Park attended and were on the scene for just two minutes.
- Firefighters were called to Cameron Street, Leigh at 5.20pm to reports of a bin fire outside a shop. A group of around 13 youths were also on the scene letting off fireworks. One crew from Atherton attended and were on the scene for around ten minutes.
- At 8.15pm crews were called to Kingsway Park, Davyhulme to reports of children setting fire to play area items. One crew attended and was on the scene for five minutes.
Original Update November 1
FIREFIGHTERS are urging members of the public to stay safe and respect emergency service workers this weekend ahead of Bonfire Night on Tuesday 5 November.
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) along with other emergency services and local authorities in the city-region are gearing up for a busy weekend ahead of the firework and bonfire related period.
The call comes after a firefighter was hit by a firework whilst responding to an incident in Manchester last night (31 October). Other than a small burn, Watch Manager Paul Marston was unharmed.
Watch Manager Paul Marston is Manchester born and bred. He is proud to protect and serve his community.
— Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service (@manchesterfire) November 1, 2019
Last night a firework was thrown at him and hit him. He was fortunately not seriously harmed.
Attacks on firefighters are unacceptable.
More: https://t.co/uiN0HcJFak pic.twitter.com/MZPOarQpK6
Chief Fire Officer Jim Wallace said: “I’d urge members of the public to think sensibly ahead of this weekend, if you have children please make sure you know their whereabouts. Fireworks can be extremely dangerous so if you are going to use them, please do so responsibly.
“All of our emergency services are exceptionally busy at this time of year and hoax calls and fires started deliberately can have a significant impact on the safety of others in Greater Manchester. Please think before you act, it could be your family member that could be in danger and needs our help.”
Deputy Mayor for Policing, Crime, Criminal Justice and Fire, Bev Hughes, said: “Firefighters, paramedics and police officers all do a fantastic job keeping the communities of Greater Manchester safe, particularly during this busy time of year.
“I would urge the public to remember that these people in uniform are still someone’s mum, dad, daughter, son and family member doing their job and putting their lives on the line to protect our communities – so please show them the respect they deserve.”
Crews have already been called to a number of anti-social behaviour incidents and nuisance fires this week. This includes the following incidents last night (October 31):
- At 3.22pm crews were called to reports of a fire in Temple Drive, Swinton to reports of a fire with youths seen standing in front of it. One crew from Farnworth attended and was on the scene for approximately ten minutes.
- At 6.06pm GMFRS was called to a fire in a wooded area in Bebbington Street, Manchester with reports of people crowding around and messing about lighting fires. One crew from Philips Park attended and was on the scene for around 15 minutes.
- At 6.43pm crews were called to Peel Park, Kenyon Way in Little Hulton to reports of teenagers setting fires. One crew from Farnworth attended and was on the scene for around 15 minutes.
- At 9.36pm GMFRS received reports of a group of youths setting off fireworks and setting bins on fire in Alfreton Road, Offerton. One fire engine from Offerton attended and was on the scene for around 30 minutes.
- At 10.43pm we were called to a car park in Rifle Road, Sale to reports of a bin on fire and youths throwing fireworks. One crew from Sale attended and was on the scene for around 15 minutes.
CFO Wallace continued: “We really want people to have a happy and safe Bonfire Night so if you want to enjoy some fireworks or attend a bonfire please find a suitable organised display near you by visiting safe4autumn.com. A range of organised displays will be taking place across Greater Manchester this weekend and throughout next week.
“If you are going to have your own event at home, please follow the Firework Safety Code, which you can find on our website along with other Bonfire Night safety advice.”
More safety advice can be found on our website.
Article Published: 01/11/2019 14:16 PM
