Ajax residents planning to celebrate Diwali with fireworks this week can do so on three designated days, but the town's fire service is urging them to put safety first.
Diwali falls on November 8 this year, and fireworks are permitted in Ajax on November 7, November 8 and November 9, according to Ajax Fire and Emergency Services.
There are strict conditions attached. Fireworks can only be discharged between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m., and they are never allowed in a public park or on any public street or roadway, the fire service said.
By-law rules apply
Anyone choosing to set off fireworks must follow the Town's Fireworks By-law, which governs when and where fireworks may be used in Ajax. The by-law is posted on the Town's website.
Fire officials are blunt about the risks. Every year, fireworks-related incidents result in injuries, fires and property damage that could have been prevented through proper planning and safe handling, the fire service said.
Fireworks are extremely dangerous and should be left to trained professionals. This recommendation is made to minimize the risk of fire and burn injuries that can result from the misuse of fireworks.
That warning came from Tania Pannunzio, public educator with Ajax Fire and Emergency Services, in a Town of Ajax notice.
The annual reminder comes as households across Ajax prepare to mark Diwali, the festival of lights, with family gatherings and celebrations. The three-day window gives residents flexibility around the festival date itself, while keeping fireworks use within set hours so the displays wrap up by 11 p.m.
For residents who do plan to discharge fireworks on their own property, the key rules to remember are simple: only on November 7, 8 or 9, only between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m., and never in a park or on a street.
Anyone unsure about what the Fireworks By-law allows can review the full by-law on the Town of Ajax website before the celebrations begin.
