WITH Bonfire Night fast approaching, Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service is warning people not to take risks with fireworks.

A spokesman said: “While most people treat fireworks with respect, a small minority treat them as toys and forget that they are actually explosives.”

To stay safe remember the following advice:

  • Keep pets indoors and ensure that children are kept safe.
  • Make sure that fireworks are kept in a closed box and use them one at a time.
  • Read and follow the instructions on each firework, using a torch if necessary.
  • Light the firework at arm’s length with a taper and stand well back.
  • Keep naked flames, including cigarettes, away.
  • Never return to a firework once it has been lit.
  • Don’t put fireworks in pockets and never throw them.
  • Direct any rocket fireworks well away from spectators.
  • Be particularly careful if you are anywhere near thatched properties.
  • Never put fireworks, even those which are fully spent, on a bonfire.
  • Safely dispose of fully spent fireworks.
  • Soak misfired or partly spent fireworks in a container of water in an area where they cannot be tampered with (preferably away from the display site) and contact the manufacturer or supplier for advice on disposal.
  • Bonfires present additional hazards so, if you must light a bonfire in connection with a fireworks display: Site well away from houses, garages, sheds, fences, overhead cables, trees and shrubs, and always away from fireworks.
  • Before lighting the fire, check that no pets or children are hiding inside it.
  • Build the stack so that it is stable and will not collapse outwards or to one side.
  • Never use flammable liquids such as paraffin or petrol to light the fire.
  • Don’t burn foam-filled furniture, aerosols, tins of paint or bottles.
  • Keep everyone away from the fire, especially children, who must be supervised all the time.
  • In case of emergency, keep buckets of water, the garden hose or a fire extinguisher ready.
  • Pour water on the embers before leaving the bonfire.

More safety advice at wiltsfire.gov.uk/safetyoutdoors