Make Sure Your Bonfire Night Goes Off With a Very Safe Bang This Year

Published on: 31 Oct, 2020
Updated on: 2 Nov, 2020

With so many organised firework displays for Halloween and Bonfire Night cancelled this year due to Covid-19, urgent safety warnings have been issued by the county council.

Last year, in October and November, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) attended one firework-related call and eight false alarms with bonfires being misconstrued as house fires. A much busier and more dangerous period is feared this year.

Also last year, Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards (BSTS) found serious fire risks posed by businesses including unsealed and opened firework transit boxes and fireworks stored near combustible items.

The following advice has been produced by the SFRS and BSTS, with Surrey Police and the RSPCA:

Purchase fireworks that bear the CE mark from a reputable supplier;
Don’t use fireworks in your garden that are produced for display or professional commercial purposes;
Keep fireworks in a closed metal box when they are not being used;
Keep a safe distance from fireworks and light them at arm’s length with a taper;
Use a torch to read and follow instructions, not a naked flame;
Never go back to once-lit fireworks even if the fuse seems to have fizzled out because they can still detonate;
Sparklers burn at 2,000^oC. Don’t give them to an under five-year-old, always wear gloves and put them out in a bucket of water;
Check piles of leaves and unlit bonfires for small animals who may have set up home inside;
Make sure pets have somewhere to hide so they feel safe. Walk dogs during daylight hours; and
Move horses and livestock into stables and barns if possible, provide small animals with lots of extra straw to hide in and cover their shelter with a blanket to muffle the noise.

Denise Turner Stewart, SCC cabinet member for communities, said: “The impact of Covid-19 has affected many events this year and we understand this must be disappointing but we really need residents to do everything they can to stay safe and keep others safe this Halloween and Bonfire Night.

“Organised displays are usually held by professionals in large spaces to provide a safer environment for people to enjoy the fireworks.

“Private displays in smaller spaces using shop-bought fireworks can get out of control very quickly and result in injuries, sometimes life-changing. This danger is increased when the correct advice isn’t followed.

“Above all else, please speak to your neighbours. They may have pets or people not comfortable with the loud noises fireworks produce.”

A fun, printable colour-in poster has been created to ensure little ones can have a spooky yet safe Halloween: http://bit.ly/CostumePoster.