With Halloween and Bonfire Night fast approaching, Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service (MFRS) is reminding residents to keep families, neighbours, and communities safe during this busy and exciting time of year.
From spooky costumes to fireworks and bonfires, simple precautions can help make sure safety remains a priority during the festivities. Do us a favour and help keep you and your community safe this Halloween and Bonfire Night with these top tips:
- Take care with fireworks and bonfires. Only adults should light bonfires and fireworks. Never put fireworks in pockets or throw them. Never return to a firework once it has been lit and never throw fireworks or aerosols into a bonfire – this could produce toxic fumes or cause explosions and serious injury.
- Keep costumes away from naked flames. Many Halloween and fancy dress costumes are classed as toys, meaning they can ignite quicker and burn faster – posing a significant risk to children wearing them. Check they are UKCA or CE marked to ensure they meet the required safety standards.
- Use LED candles where possible. Battery-operated candles are a safer alternative to wax candles and still create a spooky atmosphere. If you use real candles, make sure they are placed firmly in holders, kept away from flammable materials, and fully extinguished before you go to sleep or leave the house.
- Think about where you put your Halloween decorations. Make sure these are placed away from naked flames (such as wax candles) or heat sources (like your radiator). Please also ensure they are not blocking any escape routes, like front and back doors.
- Keep children and pets safe around bonfires. Check that no animals are hiding or children playing in or around the bonfire before lighting it. Always keep pets indoors during fireworks displays and close all doors and windows to help reduce stress. Attend organised events and ensure that children are always supervised.
- Check your bins. Wheelie bins can be an easy target for arson. Only put your bin out on the day of collection and bring it back in as soon as possible. Be a good neighbour by helping to bring in theirs too. If you can’t bring your bins in, keep them away from windows and doors to prevent potential fire spread to your property.
- Tell us about unlit bonfires or piles of rubbish. During the Bonfire period, MFRS removes tonnes of potential bonfire materials such as wood, mattresses, and rubbish from the streets of Merseyside. Report any build-up of combustible materials via our website: Report an unlit bonfire | Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service
- Talk to young people about anti-social behaviour. Make sure children and teenagers understand the dangers of setting fires or misusing fireworks. If we are called to deliberate fires, it could delay our response to life-threatening incidents.
- Respect your emergency services. Our firefighters and support staff are real people with families waiting for them at home. Damaging a fire engine or attacking a crew means it can’t respond to another emergency - and that could be your loved ones who need that help. Please help us keep everyone safe and treat emergency workers with respect.
- Always dial 999 in an emergency. If you see fire or smoke, or if someone is seriously ill or injured, don’t message us on social media - call 999 immediately. Listen carefully to the operator and answer their questions to help us get to you as quickly as possible.
MFRS Group Manager for Community Safety Craig Whitfield said: “We’re asking everyone in Merseyside to help us help them by taking small precautions to reduce the number of deliberate fires during the Halloween and Bonfire period this year.
“Last year, Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service attended fewer deliberately set fires throughout the Bonfire period and on Bonfire Night itself compared to 2024 and we’d like to see this continue this year.
“If our firefighters are responding to a wheelie bin fire or bonfire, it prevents them from responding to another, potentially life-threatening incident. Secondary fires can spread quickly, putting lives and nearby properties at risk.”
GM Whitfield added: “Please help us help you by having conversations with young people, your family and friends about understanding the impact of deliberate fires on our Fire Service and the wider community.
“Last year, our crews came under attack more than once, including an incident where youths threw fireworks at one of our crews causing temporary hearing loss for three firefighters, and also an incident where a log was thrown at a fire engine, causing damage to the rear of the appliance.
“It goes without saying that this is not acceptable way to treat your emergency services and this will not be tolerated. An attack on fire crews is an attack on your own community. All fire engines carry CCTV cameras and footage will be passed on to Merseyside Police.”
If you have information about people involved in this type of anti-social behaviour, please report it. If an incident is not an emergency, please use Merseyside Police’s non-emergency reporting channels, including AI Bobbi on our force website, 101, or our social media channels @MerPolCC on X or Facebook. If there is a crime in progress, an immediate threat to life or someone is in danger, always call 999.
For fire safety advice, or if you do not have working smoke alarms, call Fire Service Direct on 0800 731 5958.
For more tips on staying safe this Halloween & Bonfire, visit Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service on Facebook, X (@MerseyFire), Instagram (@Mersey_Fire), YouTube (@MerseyFire), Nextdoor, or at www.merseyfire.gov.uk