ATTACKS on firefighters have continued over the summer, with fire engines pelted with rocks and threatened by homeowners.

Between April and July there were 10 attacks on firefighters in Bradford, many of them carried out by teenagers.

But they also included firefighters getting abuse from drivers for closing off roads to deal with major incidents.

On Friday the West Yorkshire Fire Authority will receive an update on activities the force has been involved in the first four months of the financial year, including major fires, fatal incidents and attacks on crews.

Almost a third of the attacks on firefighters to have happened in West Yorkshire happened in Bradford, with rocks thrown on three occasions and other “missiles” thrown twice.

On April 13 at 7.50pm crews were called to a bin fire in the park at Horton Park. When they arrived they came under attack from youths throwing missiles and threatening to set more fires. The police were called, but the gang continued to throw articles at the crews and the police.

On May 13 at 6.45pm crews were attending a fire at the former Yorkshire Martyrs school when a projectile was thrown at the fire engine, damaging the window on the driver’s side.

On May at 6.10pm firefighters closed part of Mount Street to deal with an incident when they were threatened by a motorist because they felt inconvenienced by the closure.

On June 5 just after midnight crews were verbally abused and had objects thrown at them whilst attending an incident at Lindley Park.

And on July 23 at 9.50pm crews called to put out a fire on playing fields to Reevy Crescent. When they arrived a gang of boys between 12 and 15 “got very aggressive” and threatened to relight the fire if crews put it out.

Among the biggest fires to have taken place in West Yorkshire in the four month period was a huge blaze at Prince’s Soft Drinks on Toftshaw Lane on June 5. Fifty-six firefighters were called to the incident, which involved a fire in the plastics department. The cause has still not been determined.

A fire at Crompton Mouldings, Brighouse on July 4 led to 76 firefighters being called out. Investigators determined the cause was combustibles placed too close to an industrial oven.

The biggest response to a fire in the four month period was when a warehouse at DS Smith Recycling in Birstall caught fire. In the hours after the blaze started 92 firefighters were called to deal with the incident.

Detailing fatal fires that have taken place in the four month period, the report looks at one incident in Menston. On May 22 a 59-year-old man was killed when his wheelchair caught fire. He had been burning grass in his garden, and accidentally dropped a naked flame onto the seat of his wheelchair, which in turn set fire to his clothing.

He was flown by air ambulance to Pinderfields Hospital where he died later that evening.