The acknowledgment by loyalist bonfire builders in Co Tyrone that their actions had not only damaged property but caused considerable stress to householders deserves to be recognised as a significant step.
Their counterparts in others areas have frequently either ignored representations from residents about the consequences of Eleventh Night blazes or responded aggressively to those who spoke out about the issue.
However, the regret expressed by a group in the mixed Killymerron Park area of Dungannon after a pyre built last July forced fire crews to hose down nearby homes, with doors and windows later needing to be repaired, was a positive move.
No one is trying to impose an overall ban on such bonfires but a proper level of advance consultation over their location, and the observation of basic safety procedures when they are set alight, will address many of the serious problems which have occurred in the recent past.
