When celebrating Bonfire Night, remember to be careful with bonfires as well as fireworks.
Think about fire safety and also the pollution bonfires can create.
It is much better to manage without a bonfire. But if you insist, make sure it is well away from your house and any trees, hedges, fences or sheds.
Never use a flammable liquid like petrol or paraffin to get a bonfire going
If lighting your bonfire is difficult, use only domestic firelighters to help
Check very carefully that there is no animal, or even a young child, hidden inside the bonfire
Do not light it until after all your fireworks have been let off
Keep everyone a safe distance away, and do not allow anyone to throw anything onto it
Loose clothing can very easily catch alight and should never be worn near any fire. Long scarves can be risky too
In general, the council's Environmental Health service discourages bonfires, which are anti-social and can cause nuisance to neighbours from smoke - see Bonfires and Air Pollution.
