Belfast bonfire lit despite asbestos warnings sparks anger

Northern Ireland's Environment Minister Andrew Muir has said he is "very disappointed" that an Eleventh Night bonfire was lit in south Belfast despite warnings over asbestos on the site. The controversial bonfire at Meridi Street, off the Donegall Road, was ignited on Friday evening following a week of political rows and legal challenges.

The pyre had sparked particular concern because of warnings that asbestos was present on the site and its proximity to an electricity substation that powers Belfast's two main hospitals. Hundreds of bonfires were set alight across Northern Ireland on Friday ahead of the Orange Order's traditional July 12 parades on Saturday.

Minister calls for review

In a statement on Saturday, Muir said Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) staff had monitored events throughout the night alongside statutory partners. "We will be engaging with other statutory partners in the coming days as we all assess the impact of the bonfire," he said.

The minister added that NIEA would focus on efforts by the landowner to safely remove the asbestos pile from the site. He confirmed that an environmental crime investigation would continue and called for a review involving all statutory partners to examine lessons that could be learned.

Firefighters face challenging night

Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) area commander Andy Burns said crews dealt with 277 emergency 999 calls between 6pm on Friday and 2am on Saturday. This resulted in firefighters attending 194 operational incidents, 72 of which were bonfire-related.

Peak activity occurred between 10pm and 1am, with emergency calls increasing by 154% compared to 2024. Burns described it as "a challenging and extremely busy night" with increased demand for the regional control centre and emergency response teams.

Firefighter attacked in Lisburn

Disappointingly, a firefighter was attacked while attending a bonfire in Lisburn, though they were not injured and remained on duty. Burns said this was an isolated incident and not reflective of the support shown to firefighters carrying out their duties across the evening.

Sinn Fein councillor Declan Lynch condemned the attack as "absolutely disgraceful". He said everyone should be able to celebrate their culture but it must be done safely and respectfully, adding that firefighters deserved full support and should never face violence for keeping communities safe.

Controversial effigies spark condemnation

Meanwhile, effigies of Irish rap group Kneecap topped a bonfire at Roden Street in Belfast, along with a sign written in the Irish language. Another bonfire in Eastvale Avenue in Dungannon, County Tyrone, featured the group on a poster with the wording "Kill Your Local Kneecap".

This appeared to reference a clip from a 2023 gig which seemed to show a member saying: "The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP." There was also criticism of Irish flags and sectarian slogans placed on bonfires, including one in the Highfield area of west Belfast.

Earlier controversial bonfire investigated

A small number of bonfires were lit on Thursday night, including a controversial pyre in Moygashel, County Tyrone, which had been widely criticised by political representatives and church leaders. The bonfire was topped with an effigy of migrants in a boat containing more than a dozen life-sized mannequins wearing life jackets.

Below the boat were placards saying "Stop the boats" and "Veterans before refugees". The PSNI said they were investigating a hate incident in relation to the fire, which had drawn widespread condemnation before being lit.

(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.