24/08/2026
Well said.
NOTICE - Those Angry Faces… 😡🎆
Regulars may have noticed a little spell of angry faces appearing on some of our recent posts.
We can assure you that these are from well-known anti-firework activists. They are notorious for jumping on virtually any bandwagon they can find to discredit fireworks, those who enjoy them, and the people who make their living from professional displays or the legitimate firework trade.
The latest bandwagon is wildfires.
Yet England and Wales have already suffered more than 1,000 wildfires this year.
So we went looking for the evidence.
Despite searching extensively, we can find only three incidents with a credible reported link to fireworks. One was explicitly attributed to a firework by Essex Fire & Rescue Service; Staffordshire Police believed another was caused by young people setting off fireworks; and fireworks were reportedly being set off immediately before the major Dovestone fire, although officials had not formally confirmed the ignition source at that stage.
So even taking all three, that's 3 out of more than 1,000 (less than 0.3%).
Of course, we'd rather see not a single wildfire associated with fireworks. Recklessly using fireworks in tinder-dry conditions is irresponsible and should be dealt with accordingly.
But importantly, none of those three incidents involved an organised professional firework display.
There's an enormous difference between acknowledging that fireworks can start fires when used irresponsibly in extreme conditions and attempting to portray legitimate, professionally managed firework displays as a significant contributor to Britain's wildfire problem.
When more than 99.7% of this year's wildfires have no reported firework connection, trying to use Britain's wildfire crisis as another argument against organised displays simply doesn't stack up.
The evidence doesn't support the narrative, however many angry faces they click. 😉🎆
