‘Challenging’ Eleventh Night for Northern Ireland Fire Service

Luke Sproule and Ross McKeeBBC Information NIReutersA man stands on Cave Hill in Belfast surveying a variety of bonfires Northern Eire’s hearth service has stated it had a “difficult and intensely busy” Eleventh evening as wildfires put added strain on firefighters.The Northern Eire Fireplace and Rescue Service acquired 277 emergency calls between 18:00 and 02:00 BST – 72 of which had been bonfire associated.That’s greater than twice as many as on final yr’s Eleventh Night time.Eleventh evening bonfires had been lit throughout Northern Eire, together with at a controversial web site off the Donegall Highway in south Belfast.The fires are lit yearly as a part of celebrations in some unionist areas, forward of the Orange Order’s 12 July parades on Saturday. Whereas most cross off with none controversy, some are contentious.PA MediaThe Northern Eire Fireplace and Rescue Service protected an electrical energy substation at a bonfire web site off the Donegall Highway in south BelfastNIFRS Space Commander Andy Burns stated a firefighter had been attacked whereas at a bonfire in Lisburn. “They weren’t injured and remained on obligation,” he stated. “This was an remoted incident and never reflective of the assist proven to firefighters in finishing up their duties throughout the night.”Mr Burns stated that along with bonfire incidents, firefighters attended a variety of emergency calls, together with a lot of wildfires, with 5 hearth home equipment on the Bloody Bridge space of Newcastle, County Down. Additionally they attended a 3 automobile highway site visitors collision in Rathfriland.”With excessive temperatures and dry climate this financial institution vacation weekend, an extra interval of heightened operational exercise is predicted over the approaching days,” he added.Issues had been raised a couple of bonfire off the Donegall Highway in south Belfast as a result of presence of asbestos on the location, in addition to fears over the facility provide to 2 main hospitals as a result of the bonfire is close to an electrical energy substation.Northern Eire’s Atmosphere Minister Andrew Muir had urged folks to not mild or attend it.That bonfire was lit simply after midnight.The Donegall Highway bonfire, the place issues had been raised concerning the presence of asbestos onsite, was lit simply after midnightEffigies of rap trio Kneecap had been positioned on one other bonfire in south Belfast. They appeared together with a placard referencing the group.A banner concerning the band was positioned on a bonfire in Dungannon, County Tyrone.The band’s supervisor, Daniel Lambert, shared a quote from Kneecap on X, saying that younger working-class folks in Belfast had been “dealing with the identical points whether or not they’re from the Falls Highway or the Shankill”.PA MediaThe Kneecap effigies had been positioned on a bonfire earlier than it was lit on Friday nightPacemakerBonfires, together with this one in Mount Vernon in north Belfast, had been lit on Friday evening