Firefighters yesterday continued to deal with hurricane-related emergencies such as multiple pole fires and wires arcing.

Residents requiring help with roof damage are also being assisted by Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service.

“As the power is restored to areas, there are a number of poles that ignite, which is keeping us busy,” a spokeswoman said. “Outside of immediate emergencies, we are still receiving calls for assistance — as residents return home from travelling and find the damage to their homes, mainly with the covering of roofs due to hurricane damage.”

Residents placed about 170 calls to the 911 Emergency Dispatch Centre to seek firefighters’ assistance between Friday afternoon and yesterday at 3pm.

The hurricane-related calls included fire, roof and structural damage, medical calls and minor incidents.

Firefighters were called out during the height of Hurricane Gonzalo to attend a blaze caused by someone barbecuing indoors.

The Warwick resident was trying to light a barbecue inside their home and used too much lighter fluid, resulting in lots of flames.

Alarmed neighbours called the emergency services at about 10pm on Friday — when hurricane-force winds of more than 125 miles per hour were battering Bermuda.

“When we get calls for fire, no matter what the situation, even in the height of the storm, we have a duty to get out and try to help,” a Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said.

Firefighters assisted a Hamilton Parish resident whose generator was on fire just after noon on Friday, and also helped police and the Regiment to rescue someone from a boat in St David’s at about 4pm.

The middle-aged man, who lives on the vessel, moved it from Mullet Bay to a dock at the end of Chapel of Ease Road in St David’s, but was overwhelmed by high seas and strong winds.

Seven firefighters also attended the two-cycle crash on Saturday morning in Hamilton in which father Winston Jones was killed.

Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service had their ambulance staffed with two firefighter/EMTs based at the fire station in St David’s, while the Bermuda Hospitals Board had an ambulance based at the western fire station during the hurricane to respond to those in need as quickly as possible.