SkyscraperPreventing Illegal Bonfires

Help keep St.Helens safe - #Flamesaintgames

  • If you see an illegal bonfire being built in a public space, such as a park, playground, street or on grassland, report it for removal to St.Helens Council or Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service.
  • If you know of anybody letting off fireworks dangerously, committing anti-social behaviour or damaging your area purposely to build illegal bonfires, please report them to the Police on 101 or via the Police Contact Centre on Facebook & twitter @MerPolCC ( If it's an emergency call 999)
  • Don't provide firestarters with any unwanted materials to burn.
  • If you are a tenant of a registered social landlord (RSL), such as Helena Housing, take advantage of organized 'Good Guy' skip days to dispose of bulky materials.
  • Alternative arrangements for the removal of bulky rubbish can be made via the Council's bulky rubbish removal service or by visiting your local Household Waste Recycling Centre.
  • Please store any combustible materials safely, away from the front of your home - wheelie bins & recycling containers are often targeted at this time of year.

Illegal fires are dangerous - they can easily spread and prevent the fire service from attending to serious emergencies.

Legal Bonfires

It is not illegal to have your own bonfire on your own property - but there are some laws around it which you will need to take into consideration - you can find them here: https://www.gov.uk/garden-bonfires-rules and here are a number of ways you can make sure your party is safe.

What are we doing to prevent illegal bonfires?

  • We have put together an Illegal Bonfire removal taskforce 'The Good Guys' consisting of St.Helens Council Street Scene & Cleaning Services, St.Helens Council Contact Centre, Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service bonfire removal trucks and local housing association caretakers.
  • We have added a 'Good Guy' reporting feature to the Council's App for iphone & android - so you can mark the location of illegal bonfire build-ups & submit photographic evidence of illegal bonfires being built.
  • To dowse out any anti-social behaviour caused by the minority, our partners in Merseyside Police, will also be patrolling local neighbourhoods regularly to ensure people can enjoy the festivities safely.
  • We will be running Stay Safe Operations on both Halloween & bonfire night - to remove young vulnerable people (those who may be at risk of becoming involved in crime & asb, or of becoming a victim of crime themselves) off the streets and take them to a safe place.

 Report the build-up of illegal bonfires for removal:

  • St.Helens' Council's Contact Centre (01744 676789) is available to take your reports from 8am to 6pm weekdays & 10am to 2pm Saturdays. You can also report online, or via the Council's App (available on both Iphone & Android).
  • Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service also has a dedicated illegal bonfire removal phoneline (0800 731 5958)