Heat of the battle in a city alight

IN THE dimly lit control room at Tollcross, fire and rescue, operators prepare for what would turn out to be the busiest night any of them has experienced in the past decade.

Fire crews were drafted in from across the region to help overstretched teams in the Capital as the number of 999 calls soared to double the number received last November 5.

Crews were attacked in three separate incidents by stone-throwing yobs as their colleagues hopped from one emergency call to another, with out-of-control bonfires raging across the city, stray fireworks sparking a major blaze on Arthur Seat and communities plagued by hundreds of malicious fires.

At the busiest point of the night, the city's fire control centre dealt with 100 calls an hour, pushing crews to the limits while trying to hold something back in reserve in case of a major emergency.

As the teams of firefighters faced a constant stream of call-outs, inevitably some faced more than just the dangers presented by smoke and flames.

Three crews were threatened and attacked as gangs of youths gathered round bonfires and lay in wait for the engines to appear.

Yobs hurled stones at an appliance in Whitburn when they were called to a bonfire at around 5pm and police had to be called to Hay Gardens in Niddrie and Bankhead in Sighthill when gangs of youths threatened the crews.

But fire chiefs today said they were pleased there were not more attacks, considering the huge volume of calls. The total number was 770, compared to last year's total of around 430 - around eight times an average night.

Of these, 21 were serious fires including those in flats and houses, around 100 were bonfires that were out of control, and 100 were other minor fires.

Watch commander Martin Egan said today : "It was exceptionally busy, even for Bonfire Night.

"We have no way of predicting these things. It can be partly due to the weather. Last night was a nice, dry, bright, clear night. There's also the fact that Bonfire Night fell on a weekend.

"We were very pleased there were only three incidents recorded when the crews were threatened."

At 7pm a Sunday night, Bonfire Night, the control operators were working flat out as fire engines were drafted in from as far away as Peebles and Galashiels to cope with the huge volume of calls in Edinburgh.

Six control operators and managers talked into headphones, dealing with 999 calls from the across the whole service area. Fire control operator Diane Black was in constant radio contact with the fire crews.

Code numbers for all the fire engines in Lothian and the Borders are projected on a huge screen at the front of the room, which flash green if they are available, red if they are dealing with a fire.

At one moment the control room was dealing with around 60 calls a minute. Ten to 15 incidents flashed up on the screen, including bonfires which are out of control, bins set alight, and a blaze in a flat.

Group manager Mike Partington said: "Normally we don't have to prioritise calls, a call comes in and we react. But tonight we might have to stack them. We're so busy the fire engines won't come back to Tollcross. They'll go from fire, to fire, to fire."

In the fire station next door, four pairs of black boots lay abandoned next to where one of the engines stood.

Another appliance and crew of retained firefighters from Peebles were drafted in to help cover the city centre. They stayed at Tollcross in case a major fire broke out.

Ali Clyde, a builder, had just finished his tea in his house in Peebles when the beeper he wears constantly on his belt sounded.

"I just escaped drying the dishes - it was perfect timing!" he said. "This beeper goes everywhere with me. When I go to bed, it sits on the bedside cabinet. We can get called out four or five times a week."

The crew, which includes a plasterer, a plumber and a council green keeper, dashed to the fire station to drive to Edinburgh.

Meanwhile, Tollcross's Blue Watch crew had been constantly on the go since 5.30pm.

So far, they had tackled bonfires and rubbish fires at Bruntsfield, Sighthill, Gilmerton, and Burdiehouse Road. Driver and firefighter Phil Lawson said: "We haven't been in the station for more than 20 seconds. We've been to about six fires so far.

"Some people don't realise it's November 5, and a neighbour has probably called us. If it's under adult supervision, we'll just leave it. If it's just kids, and they're making a noise or doing something dangerous, we'll put it out."

But they were prepared for a less than warm welcome. Crews had been advised to switch off their blue flashing lights and sirens as they arrived at a fire, and reverse in to make a quick getaway.

At around 8pm, the radio operator instructed the crew to proceed to a rubbish fire in Morningside Drive. A resident, Ruth McDowell, called when youths set fire to a large wheelie bin next to her flat.

She said: "I heard a noise, then I looked out and saw them sticking a rocket in the bin. I ran out and shouted at them, and they all scarpered."

She and her neighbour Karen Dallas had been trying to extinguish it with buckets of water.

The smoke had almost died down, but one firefighter climbed in the bin to check there is no more smouldering rubbish.

Meanwhile, Tollcross's other fire engine was sent to Westerhailes Park. Three teenagers lit a bonfire on the green opposite their houses. The flames got out of hand and a neighbour phoned 999. It took a few minutes for two of the firefighters to put it out with a hosereel, while another two stayed with the engine.

As they headed back to the station, the radio was still going constantly. A smoke alarm had gone off at Jenners in Princes Street, and an electrical shop was on fire in Pennywell Road. Then reports came in that there was a serious fire on Arthur's Seat. Three appliances, including the retained fire crew from Peebles, were sent out.

Around 500 people climbed the hill to watch fireworks in the city, and a stray firework had set the gorse alight. As we drove through Holyrood Park, leaping flames were visible high up on the west side of the hill. There were fears some people could still be up there, with the fire blocking their way down. The police arrived and cordoned off the path.

Police and firefighters used flashlights to guide the remaining people down from the hill.

The crew began to unload their equipment, but as no-one was in any danger, they decided to let the fires burn themselves out.

By 10.30pm the control room was becoming slightly less frantic. But the fire in the back room of the electrical shop in Pennywell Road was still blazing. And another call came in to say that a fire has started in the basement of the Shore Bar and Restaurant in Leith. "A basement fire is the worst kind. There's nowhere for the smoke to go," said Mike Partington.

Control manager Alwyn Ferguson says they had dealt with more than 500 calls between 6pm and 10.30pm. "The weather affects the volume of calls. It's been a beautiful night, and it's been non-stop since four o'clock. At a time like this, the issue is not just getting the crews to the jobs, but to keep enough cover to deal with anything else, like a road accident. We've brought Galashiels up to Tollcross, and Lauder into Dalkeith."

As we left the fire station at 11pm, one of the Tollcross crews was just returning. "We've had nine fires since Morningside Drive," Phil Lawson said. For the first time that night, they have the chance to sit down for a cup of tea, but their shift is far from over as more fires rage across Edinburgh into the small hours.

CONTROL ROOM LINES BURN RED-HOT

Incident log for Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue between 7pm and 7.30pm on November 5

7pm Bin set alight, Piershill Square East, Edinburgh

7.02 Fire on the green, Firhill Drive

7.02 Fire in flats under demolition at Oxgangs Crescent

7.05 Fire at children's play park, Redcraig Road

7.06 Bonfire at Stenhouse Drive

7.07 Fire in park at New Row, Tranent

7.06 Bonfire at the cemetery near Woodland Trust

7.07 Bonfire at Pilrig Park, Pilrig Place

7.08 Bonfire at North Bughtlin Road, Edinburgh

7.09 Flammable materials at Forrest Road, Edinburgh

7.08 Fire outside Birniehill Crescent, Bathgate

7.09 Wheelie bin on fire on West Mains Street, Armadale

7.10 Bonfire on Perth Street, Craigshill

7.11 Car alight at rear of Scotmid on Main Street, Armadale

7.11 Bonfire on Craigswood Avenue, Dalkeith

7.12 Rubbish alight on Northfield, Tranent

7.12 Recycling bins on fire in the car park at Morrisons, Edinburgh

7.12 Bonfire on Redhill Street, Blackburn

7.15 Skip alight at Deans High School, Carmondean

7.15 Flat alight at Dun Terrace, Harthill

7.16 Fire in open air, near garage at Stoneyburn

7.19 Fire on Ferry Road, Edinburgh

7.20 Fire at Old Tyre Place, Old Liston Road

7.20 Fire in recycling skip at Royal High School

7.21 Fire in empty house at Burdiehouse Drive

7.22 Fire in garden at Silverknowes Green

7.22 Bushes alight in city car park

7.23 Fire alarm sounded at Lennox Tower, Bavelaw Gardens

7.24 Bonfire by harbour

7.27 Bonfire on Leith Links

7.28 Field fire at East Whitburn swing park