North East fire crews attacked as they tackled raging blazes on Bonfire Night

The fire service was alerted to hundreds of calls over the Bonfire Weekend, with crews facing out-of-control bonfires, car blazes, and even attacks from the public as they tackled raging infernos.

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) were alerted 371 times to emergencies on November 5 alone, 170 of which were “potentially dangerous bonfires” - while unbelievable images show one instance of a large off road vehicle engulfed in flames.

And now TWFRS area manager Richie Rickaby has come out to defend the fearless work of his firefighters, who were attacked a total of seven times over the busy firework period, from November 1-6.

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“We will never condone the deliberate and malicious actions of a minority of the local community, who take it upon themselves to provoke and attack the very people who are there to protect them,” said Mr Rickaby, who went on to commend his staff.

“We would like to applaud all of our staff and crews for their effort and commitment throughout the Bonfire Night season and beyond.

A large bonfire in Ford Estate, Sunderland (chroniclelive)

“As ever, risking their lives to protect the lives of others, this message of thanks transcends over to our blue light colleagues and partners across the region.”

Firefighters also attended 183 deliberate secondary fires between November 1-6 across Tyne and Wear - a rise of 2.8 percent on the same period last year.

Ahead of firework weekend, TWFRS visited 57 schools in their catchment area where they delivered a “hard-hitting” presentation which shows the potential danger of fireworks, and the serious harm they can cause.

It comes as two officers had rockets fired at them in Southwick on Saturday (November 5) leaving one officer with severe burns to his arm and torso, and a teenager with further serious injuries.

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