Dos and don’ts of fireworks for Victoria Day
Another long weekend is around the corner! Victoria Day is one of only two days you can light fireworks in Vaughan without a permit each year. But do you know how to handle them safely? If you plan to use fireworks on Monday, May 19, there are some important safety steps to follow before, during and after you set them off.
Follow these safety guidelines from Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service:
DO
Read and follow firework label directions.
Buy your fireworks from a licensed vendor – only use legal fireworks.
Always have an adult supervise fireworks activities.
Operate fireworks outdoors and in an open area at least 30 metres by 30 metres. Make sure the area is clear of all obstructions, such as overhead wires and trees.
Keep the audience (particularly children and pets) a safe distance away from the shooting site, preferably upwind.
Have water available nearby (garden hose and bucket).
Wear eye protection and non-flammable clothing when operating fireworks.
Ignite the fireworks from a bucket of sand.
- Dispose of fireworks responsibly by soaking them in a container of water overnight.
DO NOT
Reignite a firework that did not go off properly the first time.
Experiment or make your own fireworks.
Give fireworks or sparklers to anyone under 18 years old.
Fireworks cannot be set off after 11 p.m. on Victoria Day and Canada Day. You can only light them on your property. Setting off fireworks in a park, roadway, sidewalk or any other public property is illegal. Fireworks must not be set off from any window, doorway, balcony, terrace or deck in a multi-residential property, or any common area of the property. Any person violating the Fireworks and Pyrotechnics By-law 089-2022 (PDF) may be fined $200 for each offence. If a minor violates the by-law, the parents or guardian may be fined for the offence. Fireworks must not be set off where the discharge, smoke or fallout can land on another person or their property or where it creates a threat of injury or fire.
To report firework misuse, call Service Vaughan at 905-832-2281. To learn more about fireworks safety, visit vaughan.ca/fireworks.
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