12-07-2025
Man taken to hospital with severe burns after lighting Eleventh Night bonfire
Emergency services were called to the scene at a bonfire in the Lisnasharragh area of the city shortly after midnight on July 12.
It is understood the injuries – described by one source as 'severe burns' – were sustained during the lighting of the Clonduff bonfire in the area.
A NI Ambulance Service (NIAS) spokesperson said: 'The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service received a 999 call at 12.03am on Saturday July 12 following reports of an incident in the Lisnasharragh area of Belfast.
"NIAS despatched a rapid response paramedic and an emergency crew to the incident.
"Following assessment and treatment at the scene, one patient was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital.'
The PSNI has been approached for comment.
The NI Fire and Rescue Service said they had not attended the bonfire site.
Watch: Twelfth celebrations take place across Northern Ireland
Earlier on Saturday, the fire service said Friday had been a 'challenging and extremely busy night'.
In one incident in Lisburn, a firefighter was attacked at a bonfire, while over the course of the evening, 277 emergency 999 calls were received.
"This resulted in our Firefighters attending 194 operational incidents, 72 of which were bonfire related. Peak activity was between 10pm and 1am,' said Area Commander Andy Burns.
"During this period, the number of emergency calls received increased by 154% when compared to 2024.
"I would like to thank our Firefighters, Regional Control Centre personnel and support employees involved in the operational response tonight.
"Despite the period of increased demand to bonfire related incidents, we worked hard to ensure emergency response across Northern Ireland was maintained.
'Disappointingly, a Firefighter was attacked while attending a bonfire in Lisburn. They were not injured and remained on duty.
"This was an isolated incident and not reflective of the support shown to Firefighters in carrying out their duties across the evening.'
