Strathclyde Fire & Rescue figures show secondary fires – in bins, skips and bonfires – cost £3m to tackle.
Now Strathclyde Fire boss Lewis Ramsay has warned Guy Fawkes Night does not mean "open season" on the service.
And he is calling for people across Glasgow to help cut the number of malicious calls to the service on and around November 5, when call-outs can treble.
Fire chiefs claim millions of pounds each year are squandered on attending deliberate fires and bonfires in Glasgow and throughout the West of Scotland.
The fire chief said: "Bonfire Night is business we don't need. It takes our attention away from where people might really need us.
"We'd like to see people have a safe one and go to an organised display. I'm no killjoy, but please do Bonfire Night safely - it's not open season on the Fire Service."
During the three weeks leading up to Bonfire Night Strathclyde Fire & Rescue attend more than 1500 emergency calls.
These include bonfires, blazes in rubbish bins, skips and in unoccupied buildings, fires which can spread to homes and business properties.
This year fire chiefs hope to cut the numbers of deliberate firesetting and malicious call-outs.
They said small, deliberate fires can distract crews from emergencies, cause delays and put lives at risk.
To highlight the dangers attached to Bonfire Night a new advert, featuring firefighter Natalie Brown, is to be shown on STV from tonight.
The 26-year-old, who works at Bellshill fire station, talks about wilfull fireraising in her advert and tells of a home- less man who nearly died when the building he was sleeping in was set alight.
Mr Ramsay was keen to stress the service can cope with all call-outs - but any delay can cost lives.
He added: "Although we have sufficient resources to deal with all 999 calls, I would like to emphasise the benefits of attending an organised display.
"We are asking the community to help us by joining the fight against fire.
"By choosing to attend an organised public fireworks display, rather than creating potentially dangerous bonfires, the community can help minimise fire service activity, thus making sure resources stand ready to deal promptly with a genuine emergencies."
Strathclyde Fire & Rescue is working with councils to support better refuse uplift and clean-up arrangements during the two-week firework spell.
It also wants local people who spot bonfires or piles of rubbish that could be set alight to alert their local authority.
This means flammable material can be uplifted before any harm is done.
Mr Ramsay added: "We are working with a number of other agencies to try to drive down deliberate fires this year.
"But, more than that, we are issuing a call to action to the public to help us - we need their eyes and ears and hopefully they will help out."
catriona.stewart@eveningtimes.co.uk
