Saturday, February 20, 2010

Just for the record...

I am not a killjoy in the matter of fireworks.


I have absolutely nothing against fireworks when they are being let off -


in a careful and sensible manner

by an intelligent and responsible adult

a safe distance away from me.



Unfortunately, that is just about never the case in China. Last night, for example, one of my neighbours was letting off a succession of large Roman Candles right in the middle of our compound's front gate. This was a particularly evil kind of firework - of cunning Chinese design, no doubt; not intended for any overseas market - which not only showered sparks everywhere but also pieces of secondary ordnance. Yes, some of the little fizzes of light were not mere puffs of burning vapour or minute specks of blazing firework casing, there were actually tiny pieces of explosive, which would go off some seconds later - sometimes when they'd hit the ground some yards away. I was nearly hit by some of these things when I was still a good 10ft or 15ft away, and so decided it was prudent not to approach any closer until the thing had completely burnt out. Thus, our gateway was in effect completely blocked. And I had to run out pretty sharpish to get clear before the bloody woman lit up another one.

(I've noticed a lot of the rockets this year seem to be of this secondary-explosion design as well. I daresay it's very clever, but.... it must hugely increase the risk of starting fires on the ground, particularly in a hutong district like mine where most of the roofs and house-frames are made of timber. And particularly as most Chinese rockets only seem to get at most 40 or 50ft off the ground: I've seen blazing - and exploding - fragments from these things still occasionally aflame when they reach the street, let alone the rooftops.)

1 comment:

Froog said...

Actually, I was being generous in my estimate there; I think in fact most of the rockets being used this year explode at a height of only 20 or 30 feet from the ground.

I heard a rumour that there is a special 'firework task force' set up by the police this year to crack down on the use of 'illegal fireworks'. A rumour is probably all it is. I haven't seen any police anywhere during this entire holiday. However, I was intrigued as to what restrictions on the 'legality' of fireworks was supposedly being imposed this year. I was told that it was to do with the size of them, and the height they could reach.

Now, trying to outlaw the really BIG fireworks is not at all a bad idea. The infamous 'bunker buster' (which made no pyrotechnic display at all; it was merely a paint can sized tub of gunpowder which created such a pressure wave - whummmpp - that it would rattle windows and set off car alarms for hundreds of yards in all directions) has almost disappeared this year - and that's a great relief.

However, limiting the height which rockets can reach is a rather less positive step. I can well imagine that such a rule might have been introduced because last year's CCTV fire was allegedly caused by stray fireworks landing on an upper story of the nearly-completed hotel building (a patently unconvincing explanation, since the place burned to the ground!!). However, in most circumstances, the higher a rocket goes, the safer it is. The proliferation of low-bursting rockets this year is a) deafening, and b) a much greater fire hazard. During busy firework phases, it really is raining sparks.