Prince George, B.C.- Today is one of three days  a year  in Prince George, when  residents are allowed to use fireworks without having to get a permit.

July 1st,  Halloween and New Year’s Eve are the  three days  when  no permit is required.

Chief Fire Prevention Officer  with Prince George Fire Rescue, Marcel Profeit says there are  safety precautions  to  take to ensure  the  display  can be enjoyed  without  incident.  “Fireworks  are low grade but they are explosive so they have to be handled  very carefully.   Basically,  the most important thing to do is to follow the manufacturer’s  instructions,  so whatever it says on the packages, that’s the way they should be set off.”

Some  basic tips for fireworks safety  include:

• making sure  the area they are being set off is  as clear as possible.
• have a hose, or a bucket of sand handy   to deal with any spot fires that might be sparked by the fireworks
• never  aim them towards pets, cars,  buildings or  people
• don’t light them with  matches or a small lighter,  use a lighting stick  to ensure you have a safe distance from the  fireworks
• never try to re-fire  a “dud”  if it doesn’t fire right away,  dispose of it right away

“There are some courtesy things as well” says Profeit “If you are going to be setting off fireworks at  your  home,  it is  a courtesy thing to let your  neighbours know because they do make a lot of noise and the bright lights  do scare pets for sure, and there’s also  a noise bylaw, so if you are waiting until midnight,  you are in contravention of the bylaw.”  The  bylaw  calls for no unnecessary noise after 11 p.m.

According to the City of Prince George Bylaw, anyone firing  off fireworks,  must be  at least 18 years old.

“In all honesty, as a Fire Prevention Officer,  my recommendation is that  you go and watch the pyro-technics show  put on by professionals and you don’t bother shooting off  consumer fireworks because  they are dangerous to individuals, they’re dangerous to property and  the landscaping.”