A FIREFIGHTER was attacked during a 'challenging' evening for the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) as it dealt with 72 bonfire-related incidents over the Eleventh Night.
Area Commander Andy Burns described the attack as an isolated incident, adding that most people supported the service through the evening.
However, he said that during a three-hour period, the number of emergency calls received by the service was up by 154 per cent on the same time last year.
"It was a challenging and extremely busy night for NIFRS with an increase in demand for our Regional Control Centre and emergency response," said Mr Burns.
Bonfire incidents
Bonfires are traditionally lit every year in unionist areas of Northern Ireland on the night before the Twelfth of July, which marks the victory of Protestant King William of Orange over Catholic King James II.
During the eight-hour period between 6pm on July 11 and 2am on July 12, the fire service received 277 emergency 999 calls.
This resulted in firefighters attending 194 operational incidents, 72 of which were bonfire-related, with peak activity occurring between 10pm and 1am.
"During this period, the number of emergency calls received increased by 154 per cent when compared to 2024," said Mr Burns.
He added: "I would like to thank our firefighters, Regional Control Centre personnel and support employees involved in the operational response tonight.
"Despite the period of increased demand to bonfire-related incidents, we worked hard to ensure emergency response across Northern Ireland was maintained.
"Disappointingly, a firefighter was attacked while attending a bonfire in Lisburn. They were not injured and remained on duty.
"This was an isolated incident and not reflective of the support shown to firefighters in carrying out their duties across the evening."
Wildfires and collisions
In addition to bonfire-related incidents, firefighters also had to contend with a range of emergency calls throughout Thursday evening.
These included a number of wildfires, with five appliances despatched to the Bloody Bridge area of Newcastle and a three-vehicle road traffic collision with 10 casualties in Rathfriland, Co. Down.
Due to the high temperatures and dry weather over the Bank Holiday weekend in the North, the NIFRS expects the period of heightened operational activity to continue over the coming days.
"We are prepared and ready to respond and are encouraging everyone to stay vigilant to the risk of fire in the countryside and to follow our advice to help keep themselves and their loved ones safe,” said Mr Burns.
See More: Bonfires, Eleventh Night, NIFRS, Twelfth Of July
