TWO FIRE CREWS have been attacked after attending a bonfire in the North this morning, a fire official said, after what’s been a busy night for firefighters in Northern Ireland.
“Sad to see 2 of our fire crews attacked as they were leaving bonfire incidents this morning after working so hard to protect the community,” Assistant Chief Fire Officer Alan Walmsley tweeted out this morning.
No firefighters were injured, the fire service said.
Giant bonfires are lit in Northern Ireland on the 12th July as part of a loyalist tradition.
Northern Ireland’s Fire Service (NIFRS) responded to 40 bonfire-related incidents last night, out of a total of 133 incidents. That represents an increase of 21% on the number of bonfire incidents compared to this time last year.
“Between 6pm 11 July and 1am 12 July, we received 213 emergency calls and attended 133 operational incidents – a 49% increase during the same period in 2016,” the fire service said, describing it as a “very busy night”.
During its busiest periods, NIFRS Regional Control Centre handled an emergency 999 call every minute.
Sinn Féin have condemned the bonfires, particularly those that have shown effigies of nationalists and Sinn Féin members.
Yesterday, John Finucane, the son of murdered human rights lawyer Pat Finucane, said that he would make a report of hate crime to the PSNI after his election poster was found strapped to a bonfire.
Another bonfire prepared in east Belfast was spotted bearing a coffin with an effigy of Martin McGuinness on it. Sinn Féin national chairperson Declan Kearney called the McGuinness display “a particularly sickening manifestation of hate”.
Marches will begin later today to mark the key date in the protestant loyal order marching season.
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