'We've seen people lose their fingers...' - Public warned over dangers of fireworks and bonfires

The public are being asked to stay away from illegal fireworks and bonfires this Halloween. GETTY

The public are being asked to stay away from illegal fireworks and bonfires this Halloween, which is one of the busiest nights of the year for emergency services.

Last year, Dublin Fire Brigade had more than 700 call-outs between 4pm and 8am. This was up from 120 call-outs on a standard night.

It is asking the public to refrain from building bonfires and using illegally obtained fireworks in a bid to avoid destructive fires and injuries. Dublin Fire Brigade recommends that people only attend professional firework displays sanctioned by the gardaí.

"Bonfires and fireworks can cause a lot of injuries and damage," a spokesperson for Dublin Fire Brigade told the Irish Independent. "Stay a safe distance from bonfires and fireworks. Wind can carry sparks and can cause permanent injuries.

"Keep pets indoors and don't leave material lying around that can be taken to a bonfire. Escort your children out and keep dangerous substances like oil and petrol away from fireworks and bonfires. We would also ask people to respect all the emergency services."

Dublin City Council's Daithí De Róiste, who is a councillor for the Ballyfermot and Drimnagh areas, said that people could suffer serious injuries from illegal fireworks, especially children and young people.

"We've seen a lot of instances up in Cherry Orchard where people have lost fingers over the past number of years, so people do need to be very careful. There's a reason these are illegal," he said.

He said that the council would be running firework displays in Drimnagh, Finglas and Ballymun, as well as other areas. "We would be encouraging families to go along to those and to bring the kids along," he added. "That way it's safety for everybody."

He added that illegal fireworks and bonfires destroy astroturfs and local parks and cost thousands of euro for the council to fix.

A spokesperson for Wexford County Council added the clean-up that takes place after Halloween was an "expensive issue".

The council said that many of the fireworks that were illegally for sale in Ireland had not passed quality control tests and may be defective.

Irish Independent