Fire Safety and Prevention

• An adult should be responsible for setting the fireworks off. Fireworks and sparklers burn hot and can ignite clothing. Never give them to children.
• Read and follow directions on label.
• Keep water close by for extinguishment.
• Set off fireworks in a clear, open area away from buildings, trees and dry grass.
• Light one firework at a time.
• Never light a firework in your hand.
• Never re-light a "dud" firework.
• Dud fireworks should be left for 15-30 minutes and then soaked in water.
• Keep onlookers at a safe distance and upwind from the area where fireworks are discharged.
• If someone gets burned, run cool water over the wound for 5-10 minutes and seek medical attention. 

Fireworks have the potential to cause serious injury. Fire Rescue Services prefers that families visit a community fireworks presentation conducted by a professional firework display company. However, this year, with COVID-19 and the absence of community fireworks displays, if you are hosting your own backyard fireworks display, make sure you have the proper sized yard and that there are no buildings or trees nearby.

Only responsible adults should supervise and set off the fireworks. Children and those under 18 years old are not permitted to discharge fireworks.

Always follow the manufacturers label for the fireworks you purchase. This will include information on how far away the spectators need to be so that everyone can stay safe.

Take the time to prepare, protect and prevent: prepare for a safe display, protect all and prevent fireworks accidents. The following list of safety tips is for adults hosting their own backyard fireworks event.

Prepare

• Always read and follow the manufacturer’s label directions.
• Before fireworks and sparklers are used, they must be kept out of reach of children, preferably in a locked cupboard or drawer.
• Discharge the fireworks a safe distance from combustible materials such as buildings and trees.
• Before they are ignited, fireworks should be buried at least half their length into a bucket of sand if portable firing bases are not available. Plant the fireworks directly into the sand to make sure each piece is firmly supported and is aimed straight and away from the audience.

Protect

• Light the fireworks at arm’s length, stand back and keep your face turned away. If a firework fails to ignite, do not attempt to re-light it. Let it sit in the base for 10 to 15 minutes, then soak it in a bucket of water.
• The adult igniting the fireworks must wear eye protection and avoid having any part of his or her body over the firework.
• Never throw or point fireworks at other people.
• Never carry fireworks in your pocket.
• Never discharge fireworks in metal or glass containers.
• Never discharge fireworks indoors.
• If someone suffers a burn, run cool water over it for a few minutes and consider further treatment.

Prevent

• In order to prevent an accident or injury, sparklers should be doused with water, or allowed to cool in a safe place away from children playing. The ends of sparklers continue to stay hot for some time and will easily burn a child’s skin, clothing or other nearby combustible material.
• Do not allow sparklers to be used indoors.
• Children make a great audience, but they must never be permitted to light fireworks. Adults are responsible for handling the fireworks while spectators watch the display from a safe distance.
• One designated adult should ignite the fireworks.
• Ignited fireworks must never be hand-held.
• Light only one firework item at a time.
• Always have water on hand – a garden hose and bucket of water – to soak fireworks after they have fired.

During fireworks displays, pets can become scared and run away from homes and loud noises. Here are some simple safety tips to protect your pets:

• Keep your pets secured inside your home during fireworks displays: Even dogs in fenced yards find ways to escape the scary sounds. If they must be outside during the festivities, please leash them and keep their pet license tag on.
• Update your pet’s identification and microchips: Double check that the information connected with your pet’s licence and/or microchip is up to date.
• Give pets a safe place to hide: Set up a comfortable room or crate in your house just for them.
• Use ambient noise to mask the noise: A radio or TV playing comforting music works well.
• Skip the celebration and stay home with them: Sometimes your presence makes all the difference.
• Keep them busy: Treat toys, like Kongs, can help distract them during the display.

• A person eighteen years of age or older may set off family fireworks on any land:
• belonging to him; or
• any other privately owned land where the owner thereof has given permission for the setting off of family fireworks. 
• No person shall discharge, fire, set off, or cause to be set off any fireworks in such a place or in such a manner as might create danger or constitute a nuisance to any person or property, or to do, allow, or cause any unsafe act or omission at the time and place of display;
• No person shall discharge, fire, set off, or cause to be set off any fireworks inside of or closer than 6 metres to any building, tent, trailer, camp or shelter or motor vehicle;
• Notwithstanding the setting off of exhibition fireworks in accordance with provisions of this by-law, no person shall discharge, fire, set off, or cause to be set off any fireworks in, on or into any public place including, but not limited to, highways, streets, lanes, squares, parks, fields, playgrounds and school grounds;
• No person under the age of eighteen years may discharge, fire, set off, or cause to be set off any family fireworks unless under the direct supervision and control of a person eighteen years of age or older; and
• No person being the parent or guardian of any child under the age of eighteen years shall permit said child to discharge, fire, set off, or cause to be set off any fireworks except when such parent or guardian or some other responsible person of at least eighteen years of age is in direct supervision and control.

Remember, you are not allowed to set off fireworks in a Town park, street, a parking lot or any private property that is not your own.

If a fireworks concern occur before 8pm contact the Town By-law Department at 705-435-3900.

For hours after 8pm contact Nottawasaga OPP non-emergency line at 1-888-310-1122. 

• No person shall sell or offer for sale any firecrackers within the territorial limits of the Town.
• No person shall display, offer for sale, or sell family fireworks on any day or days during the year except on Victoria Day, Dominion Day, and the fifteen calendar days immediately preceding each of these days.
• No person may sell, offer for sale, give or distribute family fireworks to any person under the age of eighteen years.
• Notwithstanding subsection the above a person may sell paper caps, toy pistols, toy cannons, or toy guns wherein the explosive content of such devices is not in excess of twenty-five one-hundredths of a grain per cap.
• No person may sell, offer for sale, give or distribute any exhibition fireworks to any person who is not a qualified supervisor.
• Fireworks displayed in retail outlets shall be mock samples only, and not contain any explosive composition.
• Where fireworks are offered for sale, they must be displayed in such a manner that they are not accessible as a self-serve item.
• Where fireworks are offered for sale, they must not be located at or near a means of entrance or exit to any building or room.
• The storage, sale and handling of fireworks shall be in accordance with the Ontario Fire Code, the Federal Explosives Act R.S., 1985, c. E-17, as amended, and Explosives Regulations C.R.C., c.599, as amended, and all other applicable legislation.