Firework safety
Bonfire Night is a very popular fixture in the calendar where people come together to enjoy fireworks.
Bonfire Night can be plenty of fun for all of the family to enjoy, but with lots of potential hazards, it’s really important to keep you and your family safe. Help support your local community this year and go to an organised firework display instead of holding one at home.
While most people enjoy fireworks responsibly, in the wrong hands they can cause injury and damage to property. Fireworks are explosives and as such should be treated with respect and only used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and the firework safety code. Also lighting bonfires in back gardens present significant risks to residents.
We would encourage residents across the county to think twice before having their own displays and lighting bonfires in the properties this year. Not only do these present risks for residents and our crews, with the pandemic still with us we all have a responsibility to ensure we don't put unnecessary strain on emergency services.
Firework safety tips
- Only buy fireworks with a CE mark
- Light fireworks at arm’s length using a taper, stand well back and never go back to a lit firework
- Never throw fireworks or put them in your pockets or clothing
- Light sparklers one at a time wearing gloves, and place used sparklers in a bucket of water
- Never give sparklers to children under five
- Keep your pets indoors throughout the evening
- It is illegal to sell fireworks to someone under the age of 18 or to light fireworks in a public place
- Respect your neighbours – don’t let off fireworks late at night and remember there are laws to follow.
Below is a map showing some of the fireworks displays organised around the county:
Fireworks and the law
It is an offence for anyone under the age of 18 to possess fireworks in public places, and an offence for anyone, other than a firework professional, to possess professional display fireworks.
Police have the power to issue fixed penalty notices to those under the age of 18 caught with fireworks in a public place.
It is illegal to set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am. On November 5th displays can continue until midnight, and on certain occasions, such as New Year’s Eve, Diwali, and Chinese New Year, fireworks can be set off until 1am.
Bonfire safety
We would urge people to think twice about having a bonfire.
Lighting a bonfire in a garden presents significant risks to residents if they get out of hand. Not only this, but the smoke can also aggravate neighbours with respiratory problems.
If you do decide to have a bonfire, please follow our top five tips:
- Build your bonfire well clear of buildings, garden sheds, fences and hedges
- Never use flammable liquids to start a bonfire, and never burn dangerous items such as aerosol cans, paint tins, foam furniture, or batteries
- Don’t leave bonfires unattended. An adult should supervise it until it has burnt out. If it has to be left, damp it down with plenty of water
- Always keep a bucket of water or a hosepipe nearby in case of fire
- Check the weather - avoid lighting bonfires in high winds.