Latest news with #bonfire
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Public urged to halt garden bonfires after blaze
Firefighters are urging people to take garden waste to a recycling centre this summer after a Grade II listed building was nearly destroyed by flying embers from a bonfire. The thatched home at Bowden Hill near Lacock, Wiltshire, caught fire on Monday after the owners of the property lost control of the bonfire, which then set light to a hedge. Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) deployed 55 firefighters and 13 engines at the peak of the blaze, and managed to save the building's ground floor. DWFRS said the blaze "highlights how easily bonfires can get out of control, especially during a prolonged spell of dry weather". It added: "Please avoid having bonfires to burn your garden waste and consider taking it to your local recycling centre instead." More news stories for Wiltshire Listen to the latest news for Wiltshire The service has also issued guidance to help avoid a repeat incident, including keeping any bonfire well away from buildings, fences, trees and garden structures, having a garden hose to hand, and not lighting a bonfire on a windy day in case it flares up more than expected. Homeowner Beth Collins told the BBC that firefighters had gone "above and beyond" when tackling the blaze and had managed to save most of the family's possessions. She said the bonfire had gotten out of control so quickly "you don't have much time to think about it". "You think where is all that smoke, where are all those flames from? I thought it was just a fire in the garden. Someone came hurtling down the road and said 'your thatch is on fire'," she said. Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. More on this story Firefighters praised for tackling thatched blaze Roads closed as firefighters tackle large blaze Related internet links Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service
BBC News
3 days ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Public urged to halt bonfires after Lacock thatch blaze
Firefighters are urging people to take garden waste to a recycling centre this summer after a Grade II listed building was nearly destroyed by flying embers from a thatched home at Bowden Hill near Lacock, Wiltshire, caught fire on Monday after the owners of the property lost control of the bonfire, which then set light to a and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) deployed 55 firefighters and 13 engines at the peak of the blaze, and managed to save the building's ground said the blaze "highlights how easily bonfires can get out of control, especially during a prolonged spell of dry weather". It added: "Please avoid having bonfires to burn your garden waste and consider taking it to your local recycling centre instead." The service has also issued guidance to help avoid a repeat incident, including keeping any bonfire well away from buildings, fences, trees and garden structures, having a garden hose to hand, and not lighting a bonfire on a windy day in case it flares up more than expected. Homeowner Beth Collins told the BBC that firefighters had gone "above and beyond" when tackling the blaze and had managed to save most of the family's said the bonfire had gotten out of control so quickly "you don't have much time to think about it"."You think where is all that smoke, where are all those flames from? I thought it was just a fire in the garden. Someone came hurtling down the road and said 'your thatch is on fire'," she said.
BBC News
22-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Bogside: DUP says Sinn Féin's silence 'deafening' over bonfire
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has accused Sinn Féin of a "deafening" silence over plans for a republican bonfire on private land in Londonderry, which has stalled work on a £11m development. Last week, a man needed hospital treatment after he fell from the bonfire which is under construction at Meenan Square in the site is managed by Apex Housing, which has had to delay work on a project because it cannot find a contractor willing to remove the bonfire member Gary Middleton said there was a "void of political leadership from Sinn Féin in the Bogside" over the bonfire, which has sparked controversy in recent years. Sinn Féin has been asked for comment. Last year, police said they were treating the display of flags and banners - including union flags, a King Charles coronation flag and the flag of Israel - on the bonfire in the Bogside as a hate 2022, police investigated shots being fired near the site and in 2021 posters placed on the bonfire referenced former Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Simon Byrne and another the murder of Catholic police officer Ronan Kerr."This bonfire has been a source of serious concern for some time, causing disruption, raising safety fears and delaying an £11 million publicly-funded redevelopment project," Middleton said."That investment is being stalled because not a single contractor is willing to go near the site to remove materials, citing threats and safety risks."It is time they [Sinn Féin] stepped up and made clear this situation is unacceptable." Injured man transferred to Belfast hospital Last Wednesday evening, a man was seriously hurt after falling from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) confirmed that a man was taken to injured man was treated for undisclosed injuries at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry, before being transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Housing has declined to comment but previously said it was continuing to re-secure boundary fencing and gates following repeated incidents of "forced entry" at the £11m development will include social housing, community services, retail, commercial and office space. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said it was committed to working with partners, including local councils and community representatives, to address community safety issues linked to City and Strabane District Council said, while it does not authorise or regulate bonfires, it does engage with a wide range of partners to minimise the impact on communities.A spokesperson said it would continue to liaise with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) regarding the storage and disposal of tyres and other materials which may be placed on bonfires. Why is the bonfire being lit? Bonfires on 15 August are traditional in some nationalist parts of Northern Ireland to mark the Catholic Feast of the bonfires are also lit in August to commemorate the introduction of internment without trial of republican suspects during the Troubles, which was introduced by the UK Government in 1971.
The Independent
12-07-2025
- The Independent
Watch: Eleventh Night bonfires lit across Northern Ireland
Showing now | News 00:24 Hebe Campbell Watch a compilation of beacon bonfires being set alight across Belfast as communities mark the Eleventh Night. Footage captures towering bonfires in areas such as Meridi Street, off the Donegall Road, and Orangefield Park in east Belfast, among others across Northern Ireland. While most events passed peacefully, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service responded to 72 bonfire-related incidents from Friday night into Saturday.
BBC News
12-07-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Church Stretton garden heatwave bonfire plea after blaze causes power loss
Residents in Shropshire are being asked to think twice about having a garden bonfire, after one fire spread to a pole and left people without electricity. A small bonfire was lit and spread to a neighbour's shed, a fence and the electric pole in Church Stretton, burning overhead power lines, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said on a small spark from a garden bonfire could cause "so much damage and heartache for everyone", a spokesperson urged people to "please think" in this hot dry spell. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
