bon fire at night seriously

[Countrlass22]

Thanks to the Kind person/persons for having a hugely smoking bon fire/fire pit on all night our flat stinks my curtains smell of your smoky fire.

From 11pm to 8am well I doubt may read this.

But in vague hope you do think.of others who have asthma it's hot sleep windows open and remember put your fire out/fire out before you retire for night.

Middle glengarry road all had sleepless choked night.

[siousxiesue]

That would count as anti social behaviour and you could have reported it as such. Isn't Southwark a smoke free zone too?

[Mustard]

Someone near me regularly has one at night throughout autumn. I think they do it in one of those metal containers though, but it stinks.

The stinky smell of too much charcoal lighter has also started.

[Bluerevolution]

call 999 and ask for the fire brigade "I think my neighbours shed is on fire ", you're not to know at daft o'clock- and before anyone says waste of LFB resources it will only happen the once AND it may be true

[Mallard Von Hannover]

Bluerevolution:

How would you feel if your home was on fire, or anyone in your families was, and you were told they died inside because the nearest fire engine was dealing with a bonfire. Because while the chances seem low, it is possible for there to be a serious fire at the same time. Do you want to risk peoples lives?

[Countrlass22]

Wouldn't call fire brigade unless is house on fire.

Thanks all for pointing as to whom can speak to.

Bedroom stinks still

[peckham_ryu]

Bluerevolution Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> call 999 and ask for the fire brigade "I think my

> neighbours shed is on fire ", you're not to know

> at daft o'clock- and before anyone says waste of

> LFB resources it will only happen the once AND it

> may be true

One Sunday when I had burnt paper raining down on my garden from a neighbour's bonfire, I rang the Fire Brigade directly (not 999). Told them I thought the fire was in danger of getting out of control, and could they send someone round to assess? Then during the week when I followed up with the Council, there was a record of the incident, so they could write to the neighbour and warn them about the whopping fine they would incur the next time, as we were in a smokefree area. No repeat bonfires, so it did the trick. (The Fire Brigade did not sound enthusiastic when I called though!)

[edcam]

Bluerevolution Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> call 999 and ask for the fire brigade "I think my

> neighbours shed is on fire ", you're not to know

> at daft o'clock- and before anyone says waste of

> LFB resources it will only happen the once AND it

> may be true

What a stupid thing to say.

[Simon Cyrene]

MVH....had such a thing happen many years ago when on duty. A neighbour had the hump with another having a bonfire, called us out and meanwhile there was a house fire on our patch that had a delayed attendance from a neighbouring station. Thankfully was not a fatal fire. Sadly, this does occur quite a lot.

If it can be proved that such a call was made intentionally knowing the information being passed was false, then the caller can be criminally charged and the charge being one of stealing electricity (abuse of the emergency service number). As everyone is probably aware, all calls are entirely traceable, so a criminal record could follow.

[JohnL]

We had faulty alarms in our block of flats.

Two fire engines used to deploy regularly and they used to have to check the building.

Used to happen twice a day sometimes.

[robbin]

I don't think it is prosecuted as theft of electricity. This from the Fire Service website - (it is a hoax call offence which is prosecuted):-

"The actual law states that a hoax caller is 'a person who for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety to another, sends, or causes to be sent, by means of a public electronic communications network, a message that the person knows to be false'.

A person making a hoax call to emergency services can be taken to court and may face a fine of up to ?5,000 and/or be sent to prison for six months."

All calls to the emergency services are voice recorded and the number of the telephone being used to make the call is displayed to the emergency operator. It only takes a few seconds for the operator to find out the address of where the call is being made from and this can be given to the police if a hoax call has been made. Other facilities such as CCTV can, and are, used to detect offenders.

In 2010, a total of 31 mobile numbers were disconnected by the network provider after problems with persistent hoax or inappropriate 999 calls.

Further information

Prosecutions

With successful prosecutions we can apply for compensation. A cost can be claimed per hour for each fire engine called out to an incident that turns out to be a hoax call. An additional cost is requested if an officer also had to attend.

[Simon Cyrene]

robbin......it certainly was prosecuted as "theft of electricity" back in my day, this being effectively the electricity used to make the hoax call ie: the calls are free and that "free charge" has been abused. I accept what you say though, that the wording of the offence may have been tweaked in recent times.

[robbin]

You are right, things have moved on (a lot) since then.

Section 49 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 (headed "False alarms of fire") provides:

(1) A person commits an offence if he knowingly gives or causes to be given a false alarm of fire to a person acting on behalf of a fire and rescue authority.

(2)A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1) is liable on summary conviction?

(a) to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale,

(b)to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 51 weeks, or

©to both.

I would suggest calling and e-mailing the council (or even the police non-emergency line) and complaining about the bonfire. But not making a hoax fire call.

[Bluerevolution]

Apologies to all for my flippant post

[robbin]

Fair enough. Although I wouldn't suggest anyone actually do it, I must admit I agree with the general sentiment and it would no doubt be effective!

[aquarius moon]

Bluerevolution Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Apologies to all for my flippant post

Good on you for admitting a mistake. It takes guts to even admit that you are in the wrong.

Posters that see it & rectify it with an apology are amazing, because most don't.

And as I always say to everyone, 'think' before you post.

[hoser]

The fact that personal/domestic fires are even allowed in an already polluted large metropolis is beyond ludicrous.

[Lynne]

I mistakenly called the fire brigade out because the neighbors had such a large bonfire I really believed the smoke was coming from inside their house

To this day I can never see a fire engine without squirming with embarrassment.

[robbin]

aquarius moon Yesterday, 07:02PM

Bluerevolution Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Apologies to all for my flippant post

Good on you for admitting a mistake. It takes guts to even admit that you are in the wrong.

Posters that see it & rectify it with an apology are amazing, because most don't.

Agreed. Fair play to you.

I've edited out the less temperate sentence in my earlier post because on reflection, I don't think your remark was meant seriously.

[Azira]

peckham_ryu Wrote:

Then during the week when I followed up

> with the Council, there was a record of the

> incident, so they could write to the neighbour and

> warn them about the whopping fine they would incur

> the next time, as we were in a smokefree area. No

> repeat bonfires, so it did the trick. (The Fire

> Brigade did not sound enthusiastic when I called

> though!)

On what basis could they fine them? Smoke-free doesn't mean you can't have any fires - it means you can't have fires via a chimney.

[eastdulwichproperty]

I am sure Azira is correct, smoke free zone does not mean no bonfires ar allowed

[peckham_ryu]

Azira Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> On what basis could they fine them? Smoke-free

> doesn't mean you can't have any fires - it means

> you can't have fires via a chimney.

I think you're right that being in a smoke free zone probably isn't related to the threatened fine.

The basis for the fine itself would be Section 79(1)(b) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. An authority can serve a notice if a person is causing smoke nuisance. Ignoring the notice is a criminal offence with a possible ?5000 fine.

[Azira]

Nuisance is not that easy to establish. A single instance of a bonfire burning non-toxic fuel is unlikely to constitute a breach of s.79. The council also aren't likely to be threatening fines without investigating first, so I'm inclined to think it was a coincidence that the fires didn't happen again.

A lot of people wouldn't be aware that this is an issue. Where I used to live in Zone 1, it was pretty common for people to have firepits on their patios or very very smoky BBQs, so I wouldn't bat an eyelid if I saw someone having one here unless it was a weekly occurence. Rather than using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut, wouldn't it be better to knock on someone's door just pointing out it's causing a problem.

[Simon Cyrene]

Bluerevolution Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Apologies to all for my flippant post

Fair enough if that's what it was. I have edited / deleted my acerbic post accordingly.

[Countrlass22]

Thanks for tips

James has pointed me right direction, seems to have been a one-off incident of all night excessive smoky fire small fire lot smoke.

they fell asleep forgot make sure not smoking anymore.

just awareness community people around you like me with asthma suffer greatly if left burning overnight.in this instance isn't usually lit more than hour or so.

so end of thread thanks everyone.

would never call 99 for anything other than real emergency.