The Housing Executive has paid out thousands of pounds in compensation for damage caused by bonfires built on its land.
Almost 45 compensation claims were made against the public housing body in the past decade over bonfires damaging property and possessions, records obtained by Belfast Live reveal.
The Housing Executive rejected most claims but settled a handful of cases, paying out more than £4,100.
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A Stormont MLA described the costs as "simply unsustainable" and called for more work to ensure bonfires "don't pose a danger to public safety or risk damage to people's homes and property".
The Housing Executive said it does not give permission for bonfires to be built on its land.
It said it works with other agencies and community representatives to "take steps to reduce any risks", which can include boarding up nearby properties.
A total of 44 public liability claims were made between August 2013 and last summer over damage caused by bonfires, according to Freedom of Information responses.
Compensation of £855 was paid out for damage to guttering and pipework due to a bonfire in Bangor in July 2021.
Damage to a window pane in the same month due to a pyre in the Farmhill area of Antrim led to a £450 pay-out.
Four claims in 2014 resulted in almost £2,200 being paid out in compensation.
They included several payments for damage in the Shankill area of West Belfast, such as smoke and water damage to a wooden floor, bedrooms, furniture and appliances.
Almost £700 was also paid out in 2015 for damage to a PVC door at a property in Limavady, Co Derry.
Alliance MLA Kellie Armstrong, the party's communities spokesperson, described the costs as "simply unsustainable".
She said: "We want to work constructively with communities to find ways in which people can celebrate their culture safely and respectfully.
"We must employ every available measure to ensure cultural traditions can be carried out in ways that don't pose a danger to public safety or risk damage to people's homes and property."
Last year Belfast Live revealed more than £800,000 was spent between 2019 and 2021 on clean-up and repairs associated with summer bonfires.
More than half-a-million pounds of the bill was incurred by the Housing Executive - including almost £214,000 boarding up properties to protect them from the flames and heat.
SDLP Belfast councillor Gary McKeown said: "Every year there are problem bonfires which cause damage to public property and people's homes.
"At a time when finances are already stretched, we need to see leadership to reduce the impact on the limited resources of public services, people's wellbeing and the environment."
A Housing Executive spokesman said: "We do not approve bonfires that are built on our land.
"However, we recognise this is a complex issue and one which can be very divisive.
"We regularly monitor each bonfire being built on our land and will do so in the weeks ahead.
"When dealing with bonfires on our land, we work with all relevant agencies, elected representatives and the community and take steps to reduce any risks in so far as we reasonably can.
"This can include adding protection to properties.
"We're pleased that more of our local communities have moved away from bonfires to more environmentally friendly beacons this summer."
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