Caution urged when lighting fireworks
READING the instructions on a pack of fireworks is a great idea — but not if you use a lit match to see them in the dark.
‘‘You’d be surprised how many people get into trouble doing that,’’ Fire and Emergency New Zealand fire risk management officer Scott Lanauze said.
‘‘It probably sounds a wee bit silly to say this, but use a torch to read the instructions on the fireworks. Don’t use a naked flame.’’
It was one of several tips Mr Lanauze offered yesterday to make sure people stayed safe during Guy Fawkes festivities tonight.
Because the MetService is forecasting wet weather tonight, he said many people might be tempted to wait until drier conditions prevailed, so it was important to take the time to wet down the area where you were planning to launch your fireworks from, keep a bucket of water nearby in case something did catch alight, keep another bucket of water nearby to put used fireworks in to make sure they were inert; and be aware of pets which were frightened of fireworks.
‘‘The key message is, fireworks can be dangerous and we want people to be safe.
‘‘We don’t want a fun situation to turn into a situation where someone doesn’t get any enjoyment out of it.’’
Fenz Southern Lakes deputy principal rural fire officer Mark Mawhinney said the Queenstown Lakes district and Central Otago were ‘‘very green’’ for this time of year — particularly around highly populated areas — but he urged residents not to be complacent tonight.
‘‘Unfortunately, fireworks are so mobile in a sense that people can pick up a pack and go somewhere that might not be so green.
‘‘It’s not the fireworks that are the problem, it’s the people using them.’’
He said there had been incidents in the past when people had gone to hilltops or roadside laybys after dark, not realising how dry they were, set off fireworks and started a scrub fire.
‘‘There seems to be a real lack of awareness of the risks of fireworks in certain environments.
‘‘People need to think about what the consequences are of lighting fireworks — think about the worstcase scenarios in their preparation.
‘‘If they’re going to let fireworks off somewhere at night, they should really go there during the day and check it out.’’
Mr Lanauze hoped it would not be a busy night for emergency services staff.
‘‘It’s hard to say. We can never tell what Guy Fawkes night will be like.’’
Public fireworks displays will be held in Lawrence tomorrow night, and at Beachlands Speedway in Waldronville on Saturday.
There have been no applications for public displays in Waitaki, Central Otago or the Queenstown Lakes district.