Fire service received more than 300 calls on Eleventh night

News imagePA Media Two men stand in front of a bonfire, silhouetted by its flames. There is a metal fence in front of them and one is wearing a bucket hat. PA Media
A huge bonfire in Portadown was burned on Friday night as part of the Twelfth of July celebrations

Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) received 303 emergency calls, and responded to 151 operational incidents, between 18:00 BST on Saturday and 02:00 on Sunday.

Some bonfires across Northern Ireland were lit ahead of the Orange Order's Twelfth of July parades.

Fifty four of the emergency calls were bonfire-related, and in Cookstown, County Tyrone, firefighters had to withdraw from a bonfire due to a "hostile crowd", NIFRS said.

In a separate incident in Greenisland, Carrickfergus, the fire service dealt with a row of terraced houses, along with two oil tanks and a shed, on fire. Two homes were completely destroyed with damage caused to a further two properties.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

News imagePA Media Image of two fire fighters spraying a terraced house with water, the windows are boarded up and it is dark outside, with a red glow from nearby flamesPA Media
Firefighters hosed down properties in Roden Street, Belfast, to reduce the risk of a fire starting

On Milner Street in Belfast, firefighters dealt with a garage fire following fire spread from a bonfire.

Firefighters also responded to other incidents across the night including accidental house fires in Antrim and Coleraine and an articulated lorry fire in Newry.

"With further bonfires planned, we are prepared and ready to respond to all types of emergencies. We would encourage everyone to stay safe and make responsible choices throughout the remainder of the bank holiday weekend," NIFRS Area Commander Dermot Rooney said.

"With warm, dry weather continuing, we also ask anyone spending time outdoors to follow our countryside fire safety advice."

Why are bonfires lit?

The fires are lit every year as part of celebrations in some unionist areas. While most pass off without any controversy, some are contentious.

A man died after falling from an unlit bonfire in east Belfast on Friday night.

On Saturday anti-immigration slogans and images were prominently displayed at a number of bonfire sites across Belfast.

A bonfire in County Tyrone was widely condemned for having a replica mosque placed on top if it was set alight prematurely on Thursday, before police could remove it.

News imagePA Media A firefighter in fireproof gear, including an enclosed helmet, sprays a jet of water from his hose into the air. Behind his flames explode. PA Media
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service says it received 303 emergency calls

Bonfires are lit every year in some unionist areas of Northern Ireland ahead of the Orange Order's parades, which are traditionally held on 12 July to commemorate the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.

This year, however, marches will be held on Monday 13 July.

This is because 12 July falls on a Sunday, which the Orange Order considers a religious day of rest.

While many communities decided to light their bonfires on Saturday, some will light theirs on Sunday - on the eve of the parades.