For some, letting off fireworks on Christmas or New Year’s Eve might all be a bit of fun and games, but local firefighters say they are painfully aware of the danger that fireworks can pose during the summer months.
Ian Reade, Principal Rural Fire Officer for Nelson Tasman, is cautioning people against holding on to their fireworks to use over the summer months.
The Government restricted the sale of fireworks to a four-day period before Guy Fawkes and increased the purchase age to 18 back in 2007, but this doesn’t stop people from holding on to them to use during the drier summer months.
Ian says that it’s an experience they’ve seen before and that people should think twice before holding on to fireworks. “It poses a huge risk for our community – every year we see fires started by fireworks in summer.”
The topic is close to home this summer, after the forest fire that devastated the Tasman region earlier in the year.“That huge fire started from one tiny spark. It’s easy to get one spark from setting off fireworks.”
One spark could be all it takes to turn into another catastrophe. “All they have to do is go to the wrong area where people can’t get to quickly and we’ve got another catastrophe on our hands.”
Ian’s advice to anyone holding out for New Year’s fireworks in the back yard?
“Don’t do it. Would you want a huge fire like this year’s one on your conscience?”