Needless tragedy

FIREWORKS may be recreational but, too often, people forget that they are still incendiary, explosive substances capable of reaping destruction and causing significant injury, and even death.

In the Cape Argus yesterday, we reported on a family who lost everything in a fire caused by fireworks.

This tragedy could have been avoided.

The City of Cape Town does what it can to regulate the discharge of fireworks – setting aside and policing designated areas for the setting off of fireworks on specific days, strictly monitoring weather conditions in order to prevent stray fireworks from sparking fires, and policing by-laws regulating the sale of fireworks. But the City can only do so much. When civil disobedience comes into play, disaster strikes.

In the case of the Athlone family whose home was gutted, there was a designated area for the discharge of fireworks less than 5km away from their home, at the Athlone Stadium.

Yet, in what appears to have been a case of recklessness, fireworks were discharged carelessly and close to their home, causing a New Year’s Eve tragedy that could easily have been avoided.

Not only has a family lost all their belongings, but the distress caused to pets during the discharge of fireworks in residential areas is incalculable.

IT IS for this reason that the sale and use of fireworks is so strictly controlled.

In light of this tragedy and the negative effect on domestic animals, again there have been renewed calls for a total ban on fireworks.

While the Cape Argus understands the sentiments driving the calls for such a ban, we cannot support this in light of the use of fireworks for various religious and cultural reasons.

However, this newspaper reiterates the call for civil obedience and adherence to rules and by-laws governing the safe use of fireworks.

Disaster can be easily avoided if people abide by the laws set out to protect them and others, just as the laws governing alcohol consumption in public areas like beaches can prevent tragedies like the drownings in the Cape over the festive season.

Let’s obey the law; it is there to protect us.