Firefighters received more than 1,000 emergency calls on Bonfire Night

Between 5.30pm and 11.30pm a total of 1,172 calls were made to the SFRS, and firefighters attended more than 767 incidents, including 335 bonfires.

This also included six reported attacks on firefighters as they responded to incidents across Scotland.

In the weeks leading up to 5 November, the SFRS appealed to the public to be aware of the dangers of fireworks and unsafe bonfires, encouraging people to make safe choices and consider the impact of their actions on communities and emergency services.

Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Ian McMeekin, SFRS Head of Prevention, recognised the contribution made by communities, partners and emergency responders.

He said: "This was one of the busiest nights of the year for our firefighters and Operations Control, and I would like to thank everyone who played a part in helping to keep their communities safe.

"In the weeks leading up to Bonfire Night, we worked closely with local authorities, Police Scotland, schools, youth organisations and community groups across Scotland to raise awareness of the risks associated with fireworks, unsafe bonfires and antisocial behaviour.

"While our crews are always ready to respond when needed, we'd much rather see people stay safe and avoid needing our help in the first place."

DACO McMeekin added: "The night itself was incredibly busy. Crews attended hundreds of bonfire night related incidents as well as normal incidents such as road traffic collisions.

"Our exceptional Operations Control staff fielded hundreds of calls from the public and partners, while co-ordinating our response to dozens of ongoing incidents at a time.

"Our dedicated firefighters across the country responded to incidents in often challenging circumstances to protect communities. The support of our partners including Police Scotland was essential in ensuring we could attend incidents safely."

Several attacks on firefighters and partners were recorded across Scotland, including in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee. This included fireworks, rocks and glass bottles being thrown at crews and appliances.

There were no injuries or serious damage to appliances reported, however crews were forced to withdraw from several incidents due to the area being unsafe or wait for Police Scotland support before tackling the incident.

In some areas, Police Scotland escorted SFRS crews as part of Operation Amberlight.

DACO McMeekin said: "It is deeply disappointing that colleagues were once again subjected to attacks which in some cases prevented them from carrying out their duties.

"Firefighters are there to protect communities and respond to emergencies, and no member of our staff or our partners should face abuse, intimidation or violence for doing their job.

"We take a zero-tolerance approach to attacks on emergency workers and will continue to work closely with Police Scotland to identify those responsible."

ENDS

Guidance note:

A further regional/localised breakdown of incidents and statistics is currently unavailable.

These initial statistics may be subject to review in due course.  

West Service Delivery Area: 661 calls received, 4 attacks on crews and 257 bonfires attended  

East Service Delivery Area: 298 calls received, 2 attacks on crews and 68 bonfires attended  

North Service Delivery Area: 213 calls received, 10 bonfires attended

For more information on Service Delivery Areas, including maps of what areas are included in each, visit Your area | Scottish Fire and Rescue Service