Bonfire Safety Tips
Advice from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is to attend a safely organised bonfire and firework display. However if you must have a bonfire at home make sure it is well away from buildings, vehicles, trees, hedges, fences, power lines, telecommunications equipment and sheds – and you must ensure that smoke does not cause a nuisance to neighbours or flying embers endanger neighbouring property.
- Never drink alcohol if you are tending a bonfire or setting off fireworks – remember it is an offence to consume alcohol in a public place.
- To reduce the emission of harmful smoke and combustion products bonfires should comprise of untreated wood and paper based materials only.
- There is a danger of explosion from pressurised containers or sealed vessels amongst bonfire material or irresponsibly thrown on burning bonfires.
- Never throw fireworks on bonfires.
- Never use flammable liquids to ignite bonfires – use proprietary fire lighters.
- Smoke from bonfires must not pose a public nuisance, affect visibility on roads or otherwise inconvenience vehicles.
- Sparks, flying embers or burning debris must not endanger nearby property.
- Never leave a burning/smouldering bonfire unsupervised – make sure it is completely extinguished.
Any bonfire failing to satisfy safety conditions or where people are behaving irresponsibly may be deemed dangerous and as such, subject to being either removed, extinguished or otherwise made safe.
Bonfires and the Law
It is an offence under Section 56 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 for any person to lay or light a fire in a public place so as to endanger any other person or give them reasonable cause for alarm or annoyance or so as to endanger any property.
If you know anything about fires that have been started deliberately in your area, you can call the Crimestoppers Scotland hotline on 0800 555 111. All calls are completely anonymous and do not require names or personal details and you will not be asked to give evidence in court.
Fly tipping during the Bonfire and Fireworks season is a major cause of fire and it is also a criminal offence. If you see fly tipping or know of an area where there is a build-up of refuse or combustible material, contact your local authority cleansing or environmental department to arrange uplift.
You can also contact the Dumb Dumpers Stop Line on 0845 2 30 40 90 or visit www.dumbdumpers.org for more information.
Organising a fireworks and bonfire display
If you are organising a display visit ww.hse.gov.uk/explosives/fireworks/using.htm for guidance and practical advice.
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