Bonfire fires down

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service dealt with more than 300 incidents related to bonfires in Scotland on Thursday, freeing them up to better deal with other emergencies.

By 11pm on November 5 the service had dealt with more than 600 incidents, including bonfires.

Deputy Chief Officer Alex Clark said: “Our crews were needed at incidents across Scotland and many of the 999 calls related to bonfires that were unsupervised or endangered homes and other buildings.

“While bonfire-related activity means this is typically the service’s busiest night of the year, it’s important to remember that firefighters must also be ready to respond to the full range of emergencies where they may be required.”

And he praised all those who followed the service’s advice to go along to an organised bonfire night event: “Everyone who chose to attend an organised event this year played their part in helping to keep themselves, their families and their communities safe.”