Dublin Fire Brigade reports busiest Halloween night in 15 years

The Dublin Fire Brigade reported a surge in Halloween-related calls last night, marking the busiest such night in over a decade. As of midnight, the brigade had received 558 fire calls, a significant rise from the 320 calls handled last year. Chief Fire Officer Greg O Dwyer attributed the increase to a combination of factors, including dry weather and the Halloween celebration falling on a Saturday.

During Halloween 2024, the Dublin Fire Brigade responded to 494 calls, surpassing the previous busiest Halloween by a considerable margin. In addition to these calls, the brigade also handled 483 ambulance calls and 338 fire calls from the East Region. O Dwyer described the night as a "full breakdown" of over 1,350 calls processed by early today.

Despite the increased number of fire calls, both the Dublin Fire Brigade and An Garda Síochána reported no incidents of serious concern. The high volume of calls was primarily due to bonfires and a few domestic fires, with one bonfire inadvertently setting a derelict house on fire in Mulhuddart. Firefighters from Tara Street and North Strand stations successfully rescued three dogs from a house fire.

Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service also reported an active Halloween night, with crews responding to 89 operational incidents between 6pm yesterday and 1am this morning. While several of these incidents were related to Halloween celebrations, including 23 involving bonfires, there were no reported damages or injuries. Six incidents involved fireworks being intentionally directed at attending fire crews, but no damage or injuries resulted, and operational response for local communities remained uninterrupted.