The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has joined with children's burns specialists to warn about firework safety ahead of Bonfire Night, in an announcement published on 3 November 2025. The service said its staff have been visiting schools and community groups across Scotland to explain the dangers of misusing fireworks1.
During a four week period last year, 46 people attended hospital for treatment after being injured by fireworks, according to the SFRS. Statistics compiled by the Care of Burns in Scotland network showed that nearly half of those treated required plastic surgery or specialist health care1.
Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Kenny Barbour, the SFRS Head of Prevention, said:
"Fireworks are explosives and people need to understand how dangerous they can be."
Sharon Ramsay, Clinical Nurse Specialist for Paediatric Burns at the Scottish National Burns Centre, based at the Royal Hospital for Children, said the centre treats children with serious injuries caused by fireworks and sparklers every year around Bonfire Night. She said these can be life-changing, especially in older children who have lit fireworks while holding them, and that staff have seen blast injuries to hands, faces and eyes, some resulting in permanent disability1.
Ramsay said the risk is not limited to 5 November, with more injuries often seen in the two weeks after Bonfire Night when young people get hold of leftover fireworks and use them unsupervised with friends. She advised households using fireworks at home to keep children indoors and behind closed windows, and to keep fireworks stored for another occasion, such as New Year's Eve, locked away and out of reach of children1.
The SFRS said it would always urge people to attend an organised public display where possible, and that where they cannot, they should read the Fireworks Code before buying or using fireworks. The service said a full list of organised public displays and key safety information, including the Fireworks Code, is available on its website1. The guide to fireworks, sparklers and bonfires sets out household safety points for the Bonfire Night period, and the home emergencies hub covers related risks.
Why it matters for households
The warning applies to households across Scotland in the run-up to Bonfire Night on 5 November and in the weeks that follow. The figures cited cover people injured by fireworks who attended hospital over four weeks, with nearly half needing plastic surgery or specialist care1. The burns specialist identified leftover fireworks used unsupervised by young people after Bonfire Night as a particular source of injuries, and advised that stored fireworks be kept locked away and out of reach of children1. The SFRS advised attending an organised public display where possible and reading the Fireworks Code before buying or using fireworks1.
What happens next
The SFRS said its staff have been visiting schools and community groups across Scotland, and that safety information and a list of organised public displays are available on its website1. No further dates were given. The service's work with children who set fires is described in the guide to children who set fires and fire service intervention schemes.
Fireworks and Bonfire Safety
