Fireworks ban on private property moving ahead in Vancouver

Firefighters in Vancouver want the city to ban fireworks on private property and only allow fireworks in designated public areas for five nightsa year.

Representatives from Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services told city council Tuesday that issues of property damage and public safety warrantthetight restriction on consumerfireworks.

Vancouver fire chief John McKearney said the Halloween tradition of buying fireworks and setting them off in private yards is too dangerous to continue.

"Right now we have one night, Halloween night, and it is a significant problem on our resources," he said. "It's very hard to manage. The permit system that we've enacted is at best really only effective with responsible people."

Last Halloween,fire crews in Vancouver responded toa slewof fireworks-related calls and five major incidents. In the lastsix years, Vancouver Fire and Rescues Services says it has responded toas many as 56 fires on Halloween night.

"The general consensus among all fire chiefs is to ban them: No fireworks,"McKearney said.

Consumer fireworks are already banned in North Vancouver, Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge, Richmond, Delta, Surrey, Langley and New Westminster. But they are stillallowed in Vancouver, West Vancouver, Port Moody and Burnaby.

If Vancouvercity council acceptsand adoptsthe proposal put forward by the fire chief, fireworks wouldonly be allowedfive days each year:Halloween, New Year's Eve, Lunar New Year, Diwali and Vaisakhi.

On those days, people would be forbidden from setting fireworks off on private property. Instead, they'd have togo to approvedparksor public spaces.

Park board to propose fireworks sites

On Tuesday, city council gave the chief'sproposalconditional approval, but referred the matter tothepark board to recommend suitable public fireworks sites.

McKearney recommended about one park site per neighbourhood and Vancouver City Councillor Raymond Louie said the idea is to keep celebrations local.

"The intention is to find enough locations across our city local community centre spots or parks so they only need to walk a block or two to these locations, and they'll be able to set them off there," Louie said.

Councilwill now wait to hearback from the city's park board before giving final approval to the ban.