Dublin Fire Brigade fielded 558 emergency fire calls by midnight on October 31, marking the highest volume of Halloween activity the service has recorded in over a decade. The figure outpaces the 494 fire calls logged during the peak of Halloween 2024, and dwarfs the 320 fire calls recorded on the same night last year, according to figures released by the agency.
A Convergence of Dry Weather and Weekend Timing
Chief Fire Officer Greg O’Dwyer pointed to a seasonal convergence that exacerbated emergency workloads across the capital. Compounding the dry conditions, October 31 fell on a Saturday night, drawing larger crowds outdoors.
The surge pushed the East Regional Communication Centre to its operational limits. Beyond the primary fire tally, operators processed 483 Dublin ambulance calls and 338 fire calls for the wider East Region. Mr O’Dwyer described the shift as a “very busy night in the ERCC tonight,” noting that total processed communications cleared the 1,350 mark as midnight approached.
Anarchic Scenes and Fleet Deployment
Every available fire engine across the Dublin metropolitan area was deployed to the streets, leaving station yards entirely empty as crews bounced from one incident to another. While the bulk of the response involved unattended bonfires and rogue domestic rubbish fires, crews also tackled high-stakes structural emergencies. Firefighters from the Tara Street and North Strand stations successfully rescued three dogs from a residential blaze, while another bonfire ignited a derelict house in Mulhuddart.
The disorder stretched beyond stationary bonfires. Reports and circulating footage documented chaotic scenes across parts of the city, with burning cars, erratically exploding fireworks, and high-speed driving through housing estates. In the Cherry Orchard area of Ballyfermot, localized disorder prompted safety concerns, with local Gardaí reportedly advised against entering specific pockets amid flying debris and vehicle collisions.
Unregulated Fireworks and Public Safety Realities
Emergency commanders focused heavily on the proliferation of illegal pyrotechnics, which Mr O’Dwyer noted have become increasingly accessible via social media and online vendors. Citing a severe incident earlier in the week where an individual suffered the traumatic amputation of a hand, fire officials emphasized the inherent volatility of smuggled explosives.
“The problem is with these fireworks, they’re completely unregulated. They’re illegal for a reason. They are explosives,” Mr O’Dwyer said. He pointed to erratic fuses that detonate prematurely in peoples’ hands or fail initially only to detonate unexpectedly upon approach.
Despite the unprecedented call volumes and isolated pockets of severe public disorder, An Garda Síochána and the Dublin Fire Brigade confirmed that no disturbances of serious concern materialized. Crews utilized a strict risk-assessment framework, prioritizing major blazes near residential property, overhead utility lines, and toxic materials while occasionally holding back from antisocial hotspots until public order units could secure the perimeter.
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