How to stay safe on Bonfire Night: 2026 safety tips

Bonfire Night is a highlight of the autumn calendar, full of fireworks, sparklers and family gatherings. It is also a time when accidents happen. NHS England figures for 2018/19 show almost 2,000 visits to A&E linked to fireworks in a single year, from burns to eye injuries.

Whether you are heading to an organised display or hosting your own, these Bonfire Night safety tips will help your family enjoy the celebrations safely and make sure your home is protected too.

Before the celebrations: test your smoke alarm

Bonfire Night is a good reminder to check your home is protected. It only takes a minute:

• Press and hold the test button on each smoke alarm until it sounds.
• If an alarm does not sound, replace the batteries. If it has a sealed-for-life battery, replace the whole alarm, for example with a 10-year sealed battery smoke alarm.
• Check the replace-by date on each alarm and replace any that have passed it.
• Test your carbon monoxide (CO) alarms at the same time, especially now the heating is back on.

For step-by-step help, read our smoke alarm testing guide and our CO alarm testing guide. If you have more than one alarm, interlinked smoke alarms sound together, so everyone hears the warning wherever a fire starts.

Firework safety: plan ahead and keep your distance

Fireworks can be a great way to celebrate special occasions, but careful planning and a few simple precautions can help keep everyone safe and reduce the risk of accidents. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) advises that only adults should handle fireworks, from setting up and lighting them to clearing up afterwards. Anyone in charge of fireworks should stay off the alcohol.

• Buy fireworks from a reputable retailer. Check the category on the packaging and make sure the fireworks are suitable for your display and the space available. Category F2 and F3 fireworks are intended for outdoor use, but they have different minimum safety distances.
• Store fireworks safely. Keep them in a closed box, away from sources of heat and naked flames, and take out only one firework at a time.
• Read the instructions carefully. Check the instructions for each firework before lighting it, using a torch if necessary so you can see clearly.
• Light fireworks safely. Use a taper to light the firework at arm’s length, then move back immediately and keep to the safety distance stated on the packaging.
• Keep flames away. Never smoke or allow cigarettes and other naked flames near fireworks.
• Never return to a lit firework. If a firework fails to go off, do not approach it or attempt to relight it. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for dealing with failed fireworks.
• Handle fireworks responsibly. Never put fireworks in your pocket or throw them, and always follow the instructions supplied with the product.
• Position rockets carefully. Make sure rockets are set up as directed and aimed away from people, pets, buildings and trees.
• Keep children at a safe distance. Children should always be supervised by a responsible adult and kept well away from fireworks, even when they are not being lit.
• Clear up carefully afterwards. Once the display is over, check that used fireworks are fully extinguished and follow the manufacturer’s guidance for safe disposal. Water may be appropriate where the instructions permit it.

For full guidance, visit RoSPA Fireworks Safety.

When can you set off fireworks?

In England and Wales, you must not set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am. On Bonfire Night the cut-off is midnight, and on New Year’s Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year it is 1am (GOV.UK).

In Scotland, you can only use adult fireworks in private places, such as your garden, between 6pm and 11pm, with a midnight cut-off on Bonfire Night. Some areas are firework control zones, where you cannot set off fireworks at any time (Scottish Government).

You must be over 18 to buy adult fireworks. Your local council may have extra rules, so check with them before you plan a display.

Bonfire safety: prepare your garden and stay in control

The safest way to enjoy fireworks is at an organised public display, where trained professionals handle the setup and fire control. If you choose to host a celebration at home, preparation is crucial.

• Build your bonfire in a clear, open space, well away from fences, sheds, trees and other structures.
• Remove any dry leaves, debris or flammable materials from the area, and check for wildlife sheltering in woodpiles.
• Never use petrol, paraffin or other accelerants to light your bonfire, and keep a bucket of water or a garden hose nearby in case sparks spread.
• Keep spectators upwind of the smoke, and supervise children so they stay at a safe distance.
• Make sure the fire is completely out and the area is safe before you leave it.

Sparkler safety

Sparklers can burn at well over 1,000°C, so they need the same care as any other firework.

• Keep sparklers away from young children. Never give sparklers to children under five, and always supervise older children closely.
• Protect hands and keep a safe distance. Children should wear gloves and hold sparklers at arm’s length, with a responsible adult supervising them at all times.
• Light sparklers one at a time. Always light them carefully and avoid waving them near other people to reduce the risk of burns or injury.
• Dispose of used sparklers safely. Put them in a bucket of cold water straight away and leave them until they have completely cooled before throwing them away.

Protecting your home all year round

Outdoor safety matters on Bonfire Night, but so does what happens inside. Kitchen and heating appliances pose risks all year, and Bonfire Night falls just as most homes switch their heating back on. FireAngel’s smoke alarms, heat alarms and CO alarms give your home reliable protection. A kitchen heat alarm detects a rise in heat rather than smoke, so it will not go off every time you cook, and a combination smoke and CO alarm protects against both fire and carbon monoxide in one device.

Bonfire Night often brings friends and family together in the kitchen diner or living room. For open-plan spaces like these, the FireAngel One Combi Smoke and Heat Alarm detects both smoke and rising heat in one device. It’s part of the FireAngel One range: up to 20 alarms interlink over Bluetooth, so when one sounds they all do, and an optional gateway sends alerts to your phone through the Angel Connect app.

Bonfire Night should be about fun, not danger. By handling fireworks and sparklers carefully, preparing your bonfire safely and making sure your alarms work, you can make the evening memorable for all the right reasons. For more advice, visit our fire safety hub or read our Christmas fire safety tips ahead of the festive season.

Bonfire Night safety FAQs

What time do fireworks have to stop on Bonfire Night?

In England, Wales and Scotland, fireworks must stop by midnight on Bonfire Night. On most other nights the cut-off is 11pm.

Should I test my smoke alarm before Bonfire Night?

Yes. Press and hold the test button on each alarm until it sounds, and check the replace-by date. It takes a minute and makes sure your home is protected before the celebrations start.

Are sparklers safe for children?

Sparklers are not suitable for children under five. Older children should wear gloves, hold sparklers at arm’s length and always be supervised by an adult.