Firefighters were called out to more than 350 bonfires across Scotland on what has become a notoriously busy night for the fire service. Crews attended a total of 352 callouts between 3.30pm and 11.30pm on November 5, according to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
Five attacks on crews were also recorded, though no injuries were reported. A total of 1,025 calls were received.
Assistant Chief Officer David Farries, director of service delivery for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said he was "disappointed" to hear of the attacks and said crews should be able to carry out their jobs without fear of harassment.
“It’s been another busy and challenging evening for our crews and Operations Control staff around Scotland and I thank them for their dedication," he said in statement. "We are disappointed to report five attacks on our firefighters. In the run-up to Bonfire Night, we had spoken out about this kind of unacceptable behaviour by a small minority which sadly happens year after year.
"Our staff should be able to carry out their role without being attacked and it is disappointing that people have tried to hurt firefighters and have damaged our appliances and equipment." Mr Farries added that crews "only attend bonfire related incidents when people contact us about concerns over public safety" and that firefighters only extinguish fires "that are unsafe".
“We put a huge amount of planning and preparation into this evening with local partners and other emergency services as we work together to protect communities, which is always our top priority.”
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