Daredevils setting off backyard fireworks are behind more than a dozen reports received by Caroline Springs police since Boxing Day.
Caroline Springs police’s Acting Superintendent Kerin Moloney said police looked into a number of reports in the lead-up to the new year and expected more of the same in the weekend before Australia Day.
“It’s an ongoing issue and while many people still see fireworks as harmless fun, a person possessing and using fireworks is irresponsible and behaving illegally and dangerously,” Superintendent Moloney said.
“They’re an explosive device and can cause substantial injury or death.
“They can easily start grassfires, which we know have the potential to cause death. You’d face a 25-year term if you caused that.”
Investigation is continuing into a business property on East Esplanade, St Albans, where police alleged fireworks were being sold.
“We seized about half a pallet of fireworks on December 29,” Superintendent Moloney said.
Offenders caught setting off fireworks without a pyrotechnician’s licence face fines of up to $14,000.
“That could really diminish future opportunities for employment or travel, so I’d advise people to think carefully,” Superintendent Moloney said.
