Fireworks safety urged for holiday

Local residents are being advised by local fire authorities to abide by the city's safety rules ahead of the Spring Festival holiday, when deafening fireworks seemingly explode everywhere in sight and light up the night sky - mostly as public safety hazards.

This year, two new regulations were introduced to the city's existing rules (essentially prohibiting people from setting off fireworks near busy public places, such as tourist spots, commercial centers and government buildings). Fire officials Tuesday warned people to mind all local fire safety rules or risk fines and detention.

One of the most recently added rules states that no one should set off fireworks in old lane-ways or closed communities without being equipped with a fire extinguisher, or a fire safety tool of equivalent effectiveness.

The other restriction placed on fireworks this year prevents people from ringing in the Year of the Dragon within 60 meters of any building specified to contain flammable insulation material in its walls, a measureprompted by the city's Jiaozhou Road fire in 2010, a tragedy that claimed the lives of 58 people.

"We want people to have fun and enjoy the centuries old tradition of setting off firecrackers for Spring Festival, but we also need to mind public safety, which is why we ask people to obey the rules," Zhou Meiliang, a press officer for Shanghai Fire Department, told the Global Times Tuesday.

According to the city's rules, residents are permitted to set off firecrackers between 6 pm and 8 am from January 22 and 26, the first five days of the national holiday, and on February 6, Lantern Day, or the 15th day of the Chinese New Year.

"Local residents should be sure to choose open and spacious areas when using fireworks, so they don't disturb too many others," said Zhou.

He added that officers will be dispatched to patrol the city during the holiday, and anyone caught breaking the rules can be fined up to 2,000 yuan ($316) and detained for as many as 15 days.

"But, if they cause serious damage or harm anyone, they could even face criminal charges," he said.

Zhou also reminded people to report to police with any unlicensed firework products they come across during the holiday; an undisclosed number of deaths last Spring Festival resulted from people setting off unqualified firecrackers, some 19,000 boxes of which were confiscated by authorities last month, he added.