Over 300 calls for NI fire service on Eleventh Night
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service responded to over 300 emergency calls during the Eleventh Night bonfire celebrations. Incidents included property damage and hostile crowds, while some bonfires were delayed due to the Sunday observance.
Why it matters
The Eleventh Night is a significant cultural event in Northern Ireland that often presents public safety and community tension challenges.
Firefighters dealt with more than 300 emergency calls as Eleventh Night bonfires were lit across Northern Ireland.
In one incident, firefighters had to withdraw from a bonfire in Cookstown, Co Tyrone, as a result of a hostile crowd.
In Belfast, a garage caught fire after flames spread from a bonfire.
The burning of Eleventh Night bonfires leads to one of the busiest evenings of the year for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS).
Area Commander Dermot Rooney said operational activity was "consistently high" across Saturday night and into Sunday morning.
He said: "We received 303 emergency calls between the hours of 6pm 11 July and 2am 12 July 2026.
"This resulted in firefighters attending 151 operational incidents – 54 of these were bonfire-related.
"On Milner Street, Belfast, firefighters dealt with a garage fire following fire spread from a bonfire.
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