8 Nov 2015

More callouts but fewer serious Guy Fawkes fires

10:21 am on 8 November 2015

The Fire Service has attended more fireworks-related callouts than last year, but fewer serious fires.

Firefighters were called to 44 incidents last night, in the most serious of which people set off fireworks from car windows.

National advisor for fire risk management Todd O'Donoghue said that was "crazy behaviour" and could lead to scrub fires.

"Fireworks are designed to fire vertically and the embers from them to be cooled by the time they get down to things that can catch fire."

In Dunedin, a firework set off inside a building triggered a smoke alarm, while in Hamilton one person was treated for smoke inhalation after a fire in the roof of a house.