The role of the Kirkwall and St Ola annual bonfire and fireworks display in keeping the county’s fire safety statistics low has been praised.
John McKenna is group commander of the Orkney District Office with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SRFS).
He said he was 100% sure the event meant less people holding their own bonfires and fireworks displays.
In other areas he’d worked, firefighters were “running in and out to bonfires” from mid-October onwards.
The annual Kirkwall and St Ola Bonfire and fireworks display is held by the areas’ community council and the local branch of The Rotary Club.
At the Orkney Council meeting, Mr McKenna was responding to a question from councillor Sandy Cowie.
Mr Cowie said there had been a discussion about the bonfire’s role at a community council meeting earlier in the week.
The councillor said: “There’s a fair bit of work involved in running and organising the bonfire. I think we’re looking for a bit of reassurance that it’s a worthwhile thing.”
Mr McKenna said: “This is coming up to my 33rd year in the fire service. Only two of them have been in Orkney, the rest in central Scotland.
“If I turn the clock back, from mid-October all you were doing was running in and out to bonfires. Even the on-call fire crews were doing that non-stop.
“You’ve seen what happened in Dundee and what happens to the police – they have to come out and offer us protection
“That doesn’t happen here.”
Kirkwall bonfire reducing need for firefighters to attend private displays
Mr McKenna said there had been no real requirement for the SRFS to attend any bonfire in Orkney over the first weekend in November this year.
He also said the firefighters were happy to attend the event.
The fire chief said: “If you continue to hold an organised bonfire, our crews will come along.
“They enjoy that, especially if they’re getting a free burger.”
“But, they’re there if there’s an injury or if it gets out of control or to advise. It’s 100% a good thing to do.”
“If I had a young family I’d want to take them along to the display. You’re going to see proper fireworks, your friends will be there kids’ schoolmates will be
there.”
Councillor Cowie said the organisers were grateful for the presence of the SRFS at the event.
He also said the praise would be fed back to the community council.
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