The National Safety Council, NSC, has called on parents not to encourage bonfires or provide material for them. The NSC issued its annual warning today on the hazards of Hallowe'en saying that children and elderly people living near bonfires are at greatest risk.
All bonfires should be supervised by parents or an adult ' in a safe area and away from houses and overhead cables, according to NSC Chief Executive Mr Pat Costello.
Children should also be supervised as they go trick-or-treating, according to Mr Costello. He said there is an increased risk of road traffic accidents on Halloween night and parents should take time tonight to communicate the importance of "safety first". He said each year bonfires cause over £50,000 worth of damage to public property in Dublin alone.
Speaking last week at a garda press conference on the dangers of fireworks Det Insp Ray McHugh said each year children end up in hospital with severe burns and hand, arm and chest injuries. He appealed to parents to take responsibility and resist pressure from children for money to buy fireworks.
The Dublin Fire Brigade which recorded 600 Hallowe'en calls last year said it was important to ensure that bonfires were built safely and that spectators should stand at a safe distance from the fire.
District Fire Officer for Dublin Mr Pat Hobbs, said tyres, foam furniture or aerosols should not be used when building a bonfire. He said to remove risks a proper site should be selected for the bonfire - away from houses and flammable material. He suggested people stay at least twenty or thirty feet away from the bonfire. Most importantly bonfires should always be properly extinghuished and not be allowed to smoulder overnight.
He also said a first aid kit, fire extinguishers, a hose or buckets of water be at hand in case of emergency. A mobile phone or nearby landline should also be available in case the emergency services need to be called.
The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, ISPCA, said that cats and dogs should be locked in the house for the evening.
The society's Education Officer, Ms Gillian Bird advised pet-owners to lock their pets in a room so they cannot escape through the front door when children come calling to the house.
She said when bangers and fireworks go off animals get stressed and try to run away. When they do she said "they keep going until they are away from the noise and by then the animal might not be able to find its way back." She said very often these animals get hit by traffic on the roads.