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. Contact your RSL to find out if they are taking part & running a skip day in your neighbourhood
  • 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)