Setting off fireworks on your own property may be legal on Canada Day, July 1st, but Weyburn's Fire Chief Trent Lee said there are bylaws in place to ensure safety for everyone involved.

"We do have a bylaw in Weyburn that regulates fireworks and pyrotechnics, and there is only a few days that are allowed for family fireworks," he said. "Family fireworks as classified as the fireworks you can buy locally out of different retail locations."

Those dates are New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, June 30th and July 1st. "Outside of those days, you need to acquire a permit for setting off a display."

Fireworks are fireworks, but the family fireworks are smaller in size.

"They do give the same type of display, just not as high, not as elaborate. There are some really fancy family fireworks out there that do quite a bit." 

A fireworks display for the public, however, requires proper licensing, and Lee said the City hires professionals to run our annual display. 

"You need to take training and perform several display shows with people who already have their license, and that's through National Resources of Canada."

However, while you don't need a license to set off the family fireworks on specific dates, the safety concerns still remain.

"Even though there are family fireworks and they can be purchased anywhere that sells them, they are still extremely dangerous," Lee noted. "They are still an explosive device. Things can still go wrong and there is lots of evidence to prove that accidental fires have been set with them, and people have accidentally been hurt." 

"You do have to be 18 years old within the city to discharge any family fireworks,  and, you must have operating fire extinguishing equipment ready for immediate use. You must be knowledgeable in the use of such extinguishing equipment and you must be capable of employing that fire extinguishing equipment should it be required."

He said the best advice is to always read the instructions on the packaging that fireworks come in, as there are different requirements for safe locations away from property, buildings, power lines, etc. 

"Some private fireworks or family fireworks are required to be buried in the ground for a certain depth. One should never hold any fireworks in their hand and discharge it," he reminded. 

"Anyone who does set him off, you must set them off on your own property. If you're using someone else's property, you must have written permission and carry that written permission with you as you display your fireworks show," he said. "Another very important requirement is he shall not discharge family fireworks inside of on a building, accessory building structure or from a motor vehicle." 

Lee said the ground is the safest place to set off fireworks because they all have different types of patterns or displays when activated or ignited.

"So basically it just comes down to common knowledge and common safety practices," he shared. "If there is something that is easily ignitable [overhead], just because we have the backyard doesn't mean we should be setting them off. We want to make sure that we're setting them off for the pleasure of people watching them, not to put harm or put people in harm's way." 

Fireworks, he explained, contain a pre-charged device that, when ignited, sets the pyrotechnics off into the display mode, and then, once it shoots up into the sky, a secondary discharge causes display effects. 

"There's lots of stories out there, and it's very easy to come across news articles where people have lost fingers, eyes severely burnt," Lee reminded. "They're not a toy, it's still dangerous." 

He said the other concerns about family fireworks, other than following rules stated in the City of Weyburn Bylaw, include that animals may be scared of the fireworks, and people working shift work may be trying to sleep.

"We have to be cognizant of all the different issues and concerns that could be created by setting off these display fireworks," he noted. "And there is lots of places outside of the City of Weyburn, where fireworks are allowed throughout the year and people just need to spend a little bit of time to research where they can do it and do it safely and have a great time doing it. Always check into the local municipalities' rules and regulations and if they have a bylaw and what's required to have such an event."

Weyburn's fireworks as usual will be held at dusk on Canada Day, following a movie at the Weyburn Exhibition Grounds.