Shocking video footage has emerged of West Yorkshire firefighters coming under attack from rockets as they arrived to tackle a blaze.
And fire chiefs have further revealed two similar attacks were made on firefighters in Kirklees last Bonfire season.
West Yorkshire Fire Service has released the footage, filmed in November last year in Leeds by a camera attached to a fire truck cab, to show what risks firefighters face during the bonfire season. And they have urged people not to repeat the antics this year.
Brigade safety manager Ian Bitcon said: “It’s a sad fact that every year our crews encounter some reckless individuals who do not take Bonfire Night or fireworks seriously.
“Attacks on firefighters - like the one captured by a silent witness camera in the Chapeltown area of Leeds last November - are despicable.
“They needlessly put our firefighters in incredible danger whilst they are simply trying to carry out their duties serving the public.”
Figures show firefighters extinguished 66 bonfires across West Yorkshire that had got out of control or were not being managed properly and seven of these were in the Kirklees district.
Between November 1 and 7 last year, firefighters extinguished 31 secondary fires in Kirklees -this includes not just the bonfires but anything from wheelie bin blazes to grass fires.
John McGheen, Fire Brigades Union national officer, said: “Attacks on firefighters, such as those in the video, are abhorrent, especially when they are in the middle of trying to rescue members of the public from dangerous incidents.
“The fire service is a neutral organisation; we are there to protect and rescue people when they’re at their most vulnerable. It is unacceptable that whilst doing this, they’re being attacked.”
The region’s fire service is also promoting the highly successful Gone in a Flash campaign again this year, which shows in graphic detail how fireworks and bonfires can wreck lives if not used responsibly.
For further fire safety advice and how to stay safe this Bonfire Night visit www.westyorksfire.gov.uk
