We recommend always attending organised bonfires but, if you’re thinking of having a bonfire in your garden, please follow the safety advice below to make it as safe as possible:
- always site bonfires well away from houses, garages, sheds, fences, trees and anything that could catch fire
- build your bonfire carefully to ensure it won’t collapse to one side when lit
- never use flammable liquids such as paraffin or petrol to light the fire
- keep buckets of water or a hosepipe nearby in case of emergency – but call 999 immediately if the fire gets out of hand
- keep people, especially children, away from the fire. If children are present, supervise them at all times
- don’t burn foam-filled furniture, aerosols, bottles or paints
- never leave a bonfire unattended
- always pour water over embers to ensure they’re fully extinguished before leaving them.
Nuisance Fires
The fire service will only attend bonfires that are out of control or left unattended. For all other bonfire and air pollution matters, you need to contact your local council. We’ve made this easier by giving you a list of all the West Midlands councils with links to their nuisance reporting pages. Just click the button below.
For information on contacting your local council visit our Bonfires FAQ
