Fireworks thrown at fire crews responding to incidents

PA Media A crest of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service is shown on the side of a fire engine. The crest has a red hand in the centre surrounded by a white star and a green circle extending around it. The name of the organisation is encased further out around the crest.PA Media
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service responded to 89 incidents on Halloween night

Fireworks were deliberately directed at fire crews during six separate incidents on Halloween night as they responded to dozens of callouts across Northern Ireland.

The fire service responded to 89 incidents, several of which were Halloween-related with 23 of them involving bonfires, between 18:00 GMT on Saturday and 01:00 on Sunday.

"No damage or injuries resulted and operational response for local communities was maintained throughout," a Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) spokesperson said.

Halloween celebrations took place across Northern Ireland over the weekend, with the biggest festival being held in Londonderry on Saturday evening.

A 'perfect storm' in Dublin

In the Republic of Ireland, Dublin Fire Brigade reported the highest number of Halloween calls in more than a decade.

Chief Fire Officer Greg O'Dwyer said that, as of midnight, Dublin Fire Brigade had received 558 calls, an increase from 320 calls last year.

O'Dwyer also reported 483 Dublin ambulance calls and 338 East Region fire calls.

"A very busy night in the ERCC tonight... a total of over 1,350 calls processed already," he told Irish broadcaster RTÉ.

O'Dwyer described the conditions as a "perfect storm", pointing to the combination of dry weather and Halloween falling on a Saturday.

An Garda Síochána (Irish police force) reported no disturbances of serious concern.