Since 2000, germans have spent more than 2.1 billion euros on new year’s eve fireworks. The pyrotechnic industry fared best in the past three years, turning over around 137 million euros at the turn of the year each time (source: statista). "The trend goes to composite fireworks, where many things are mixed", reports pyrotechnician christian rose from wildflecken. He runs the company saale pyro muller and is responsible, for example, for the closing fireworks for the kissinger summer.
Spacing when pushing
Such a compound fireworks consists of several individual pipes, which are enticed with each other. Once rounded, it fires its effects one after the other. Caution is advised with such batteries – as with all other new year’s eve rockets and firecrackers. "You can see again and again that the batteries topple over. Then they are uncontrollable", he says. The bombs continue to fire out, due to the force of the tongues the battery turns and moves unpredictably back and forth, shifts the effects in all directions. To avoid such a thing, the expert advises: "glue the battery beforehand on a wooden board or clamp it between two stones."
Some composite fireworks not only move their charge straight up, but also at angles that deviate 15 degrees from vertical. Although this makes for beautiful, wide-spectrum images in the sky, it also harbors dangers. "You have to make sure that you have enough space to launch", says the managing director of saale pyro muller. How much distance to keep to the next house, the next car or the next person is written on the package. Rose: "the law requires a minimum of eight meters. I was recommended 20 meters, also because it seems more gentle from a distance."
Flat free areas like parking lots or rough yards are good, narrow streets in old towns should be taboo. Among other things before churches, half-timbered houses, and barns are boller anyway forbidden. "The danger of fire is too great", explains the expert.
A municipality with a ban on rollerblading
Munnerstadt’s city council passed a firecracker ban a good year ago out of concern that an errant new year’s eve rocket could damage historic buildings. That’s why fireworks are not allowed inside the city walls. The city council’s decision was based on suggestions from residents, reports mayor helmut blank (CSU). "The fear of residents is that a rocket will hit a vacant lot, not be noticed, and then cause a fire.", he says. "We have enough rough places to push." Nevertheless, the hotspots on new year’s eve are still in the old town. Blank therefore appeals to the citizens to refrain from doing so and to handle fireworks responsibly.
Munnerstadt is the only municipality in the county to ban fireworks on new year’s eve. This is the result of an inquiry of the saale-zeitung to all municipal administrations. "According to the legal requirements, certain guidelines must be observed anyway", says thomas hack for the town hall of bad kissingen, for example. Winfried rost of the bad bruckenau administrative district is also counting on common sense: "we recommend that you first read the instructions for use in the warm before setting off the fireworks."
Pushing forward at the kisspark and bollern on new year’s eve
Advance saale pyro muller organizes on saturday, 15. December, advance a new year’s eve. Category II fireworks will be displayed. The event starts at 6 pm at the kisspark in the commercial area reiterswiesen. The pushing takes about two hours.
Who may bollern, when and where? On 31. December and 1. January persons 18 years and older are allowed to fire class II firecrackers. These are the rockets, bollards and batteries, which from 28. December in supermarkets are to buy. In the vicinity of churches, hospitals, children’s and old people’s homes, as well as fire-sensitive buildings (half-timbered houses, barns), shooting is not permitted even on new year’s eve. Class I fireworks (firecrackers, table fireworks) may be set off all year round by young people over the age of 12.
Exceptions fireworks of category II are allowed in exceptional cases also during the year (z.B. At weddings). They must be approved by the regulatory authority. Pyrotechnicians with the appropriate permits are allowed to set off fireworks up to category four all year round, but must report this to the authorities.