Social impact[edit]
Bonfire Night celebrations can pose a risk to public safety due to the possibility of fires, injuries, or fights. For example, in London, calls to firefighting services are nearly tripled on Bonfire Night.[6] In Belfast, the July 2003 Bonfire Night resulted in £10,000 worth of damage to a park.[4] The use of fireworks may lead to dangerous pyrotechnic incidents. In parts of the Caribbean, laws banning fireworks and explosives have muted the occasion,[7] and safety concerns in New Zealand have resulted in similar sales restrictions, although public firework displays remain popular there.[8][9]
The tradition of Bonfire Night has been criticised for its environmental impact. A 1994 study conducted in Oxford, England, found a four-fold increase in dioxin and furan concentration in the air after a Bonfire Night celebration.[10] In 2005 a Bonfire Night in Newfoundland prompted the provincial Minister of Environment and Conservation to remind the general public of their responsibilities for safety and the environment.[11]