Chief fire officer: ‘Some people may end up in emergency departments tonight’

Dublin Fire Brigade has warned people planning to attend Halloween bonfires to stand well back from the flames and cautioned that some Halloween costumes can be highly flammable.

Chief fire officer Pat Fleming said on Monday that despite bonfires and fireworks being illegal, people would still attend and potentially put themselves in harm's way.

“The reality is that some people may end up in emergency departments tonight and that’s something we want to try and avoid”, he said.

“Onlookers are exposed to toxic fumes at bonfires. When firefighters go into areas like that they’re wearing breathing apparatus. You don’t know what’s actually in a bonfire. They’re may be aerosol cans, they’re may be gas cylinders which can explode,” he said.

Fire brigades are obliged to intervene in cases where fires are lit near overhead cables, near premises which can be affected by smoke and sparks and even on rubber-based Astroturf pitches which are sometimes used for the unsanctioned events.

Mr Fleming also warned illegal fireworks do not come with the same safety requirements as ones used by professionals and have the potential to self-detonate, causing serious hand or facial injuries.

“If you notice somebody with their clothes on fire - then stop, drop and roll is the best method of putting that fire out,” he told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland

Fire crews are facing one of their busiest days of the year dealing with bonfires. They also face a higher than normal levels of attacks around Halloween.

A tweet by Dublin Fire Brigade showed one of their vehicles after it was struck by eggs.

The tweet read: “Some chicken decided it would be great craic to egg one of our appliances. It was the same truck that had its window smashed last week.”

Last year Dublin Fire Brigade was called out to 1,100 incidents over a 15 hour period during Halloween while in 2014 they responded to 623 calls.

Firefighters came under attack from hostile crowds last year at a number of incidents in Dublin.

Luas Red Line services had to be stopped for a time near St James’ Hospital as fire crews tackled a large blaze on nearby Basin Street.

Meanwhile, Kildare County Council has issued a warning that they will impose fines of up to €3,000 on anyone who stockpiles materials for bonfires.

Chief Fire Officer, Celina Barrett says people are putting their health at risk by attending bonfires.