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Fireworks Safety

Fire Prevention

Fireworks Safety

Fireworks are certainly exciting - but they are not toys. To ensure your family fireworks display is fun and safe, follow these important procedures.

Buy authorized fireworks from reliable dealers. It is illegal to smuggle fireworks into Canada. Not only could you face heavy fines, you could place your family in danger - unauthorized fireworks can be very violent or of dubious quality. Store fireworks in a cool, dry place, and keep them away from children.

Set-up:

• Read instructions carefully.
• Light fireworks outdoors, in an open area away from buildings, vehicles, overhead obstructions and dry brush or grass.
• Keep clearance around the firing area: 30 m by 30 m for aerial fireworks (e.g., Roman candles) and 20 m by 20 m for ground-based fireworks (e.g., fountains, mines).
• Make sure the wind is blowing away from spectators. Don't light fireworks in strong winds.
• Have a hose or bucket of water ready in case of malfunction or fire.
• Set ground-based fireworks on a hard and level surface for stability.
• Bury aerial fireworks to half their height in the ground or in a large container filled with soil or sand.
• Keep spectators at least 20 m away.

Firing:

• Never let children handle, play with or light fireworks.
• Wear safety glasses or goggles; regular glasses or sunglasses provide little protection.
• Wear non-flammable materials such as cotton, and not synthetic fibres (e.g., nylon, polyester), when firing.
• Do not drop fireworks, carry them in your pockets or smoke while handling them.
• When lighting: never put any part of your body over the fireworks; never hold fireworks; and never point or throw fireworks at people.
• Keep unused fireworks covered and away from the firing area.
• Do not re-light misfired fireworks (duds). Wait 30 minutes and put them in water.
• After the display, wait 30 minutes and clear the firing area of all debris and duds. Check the area again the next morning.

Source: "Family Fireworks Safety," © Department of Natural Resources, 2007. Reproduced with permission, 2008,
http://www.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/mms-smm/expl-expl/pyr-pyr-eng.htm