Help prevent illegal fireworks

Every year too many people get injured when lighting illegal (forbidden) fireworks. Or when wrongly lighting legal (approved) fireworks. Help prevent the use of illegal fireworks by reporting it.

There is a greater risk of an accident (injury) when lighting illegal fireworks. Often the fuses are too short, the fireworks are damaged, or they contain too much explosive material. Illegal fireworks are dangerous not only for the person lighting them, but also for everybody standing nearby.

Recognise illegal storage

It is prohibited to store large amounts of fireworks in an area which does not comply with the safety rules. For example in a home or garage. It can lead to an explosion or a big fire. You can recognise when people are storing fireworks illegally, for example if:

• many boxes have been placed in a shed, home, cellar or garage although nobody is in the process of moving. Pay attention to boxes with Asian characters or danger symbols
• you see many unknown people coming and going at different moments of the day
• a lot of fireworks are regularly being set off close to a shed or home, or if somebody is lighting a lot of firecrackers
• you see a lot of activity close to a shed or home primarily in the evening or night

Recognise (trade in) illegal fireworks

You can also often recognise the sale of illegal fireworks. They are often:

• delivered by post
• without instructions in Dutch
• without a CE marking (proof that the fireworks meet European health, safety, and environmental protection standards)

Make a report

Do you think that fireworks are being stored illegally in your neighbourhood? Or that fireworks are being sold or transported in a way that is not permitted? If so, tip the police on tel. 0900 8844. You can also make the report anonymously by calling tel. 0800 7000 (Meld Misdaad Anoniem).

More information

Read more about fireworks on the Begin external link: website of the police(External link), end external link..