Setting off some fireworks tonight? Here are some handy tips for doing it safely.
Important news: Today is November 5. On this day in 1881, government troops invaded the peaceful settlement of Parihaka in Taranaki. 276 years before that, an Englishman named Guy Fawkes tried to kill King James I by chucking 36 barrels of gunpowder underneath the British house of lords. The 1605 Gunpowder Plot was a failure, but four centuries later, a nation of people living on the other side of the world insist on commemorating the event every year by setting off boxes of Roman candles and spelling out their names with a sparkler.
Fireworks go bang, and sometimes they set things on fire. This is not good. New Zealanders are really good at causing firework havoc, with firefighters called out for 30 firework-related blazes already this year. Earlier this week, fireworks were shot at Dunedin police, and Auckland Council closed access overnight to 14 maunga across the city to mitigate the possibility of firework-related blazes. Last year, the fire service responded to 166 callouts on Guy Fawkes night, the highest number since 2019. It’s no wonder New Zealand First introduced a bill to ban the public sale of fireworks, although perhaps they could have done this last January rather than in November, when everyone is busy buying fireworks.
Setting fire to stuff is never a good idea (see also: how not to be a prick this Guy Fawkes), so here are some handy hints to stop your night from going up in flames. Safety first, kids!
Check the weather forecast
Don’t light fireworks in dry, warm or windy conditions. High temperatures can dry out grass and vegetation, making them more likely to catch alight, while high winds make fires spread quickly and cause them to become out of control. Check tonight’s weather conditions for your local area first – it looks like Wellington and Christchurch will be the windiest places across the motu, while Invercargill is forecast to hit 25 degrees.
Create a safe space
New Zealand fire service recommends lighting fireworks in a wide open space, away from anything that could catch fire (like leaves, hedges or flammable liquids and gases). Before you get cracker happy, fill a bucket with water or have your garden hose on standby, in case you need to extinguish a firecracker or fire. Place your fireworks on a hard, non-flammable, level surface.
You’ll also need to be on private property, as many public spaces like beaches and parks have firework bans in place. Children should be kept a safe distance away and your pets safe inside, where they are less likely to be spooked by the noise and lights (animals and humans might like to listen to RNZ’s annual soothing Guy Fawkes pet sounds instead).
Read the instructions
Always read the instructions and warnings on each firework before you light them. Make sure to point fireworks directly towards the sky and not at any person or object around you (whatever you do, don’t go tying any double happies to the clothesline, that chaos should stay in the 80s).
Wow!
Don’t light fireworks after 10pm
You risk detonating an explosion of emotional fireworks from your friends and neighbours. Go to bed!
Make sure the fireworks are out afterwards
After the fireworks are finished, drown them in that bucket of water you prepared earlier. If any fireworks didn’t go off, don’t pick them up, in case they are still alight or faulty. Leave them on the ground and extinguish them by dousing them with water.
Don’t light any fireworks at all
Not lighting any fireworks is arguably the best way to avoid a firework-related fire. Check with your local council to see if your town has any public displays planned for tonight. If not, we suggest you put this 12-hour-long video of exploding fireworks on to your biggest screen, so you can sit back, relax and enjoy the show.
