Everything about fireworks, prohibition and speeches

Many were looking forward to a carefree celebration. After the celebrations on August 1st could only take place to a limited extent in the last two years due to corona measures, the situation this year would be ideal. Even the weather is right. But because of the drought of the last few weeks, fire and fireworks are now banned everywhere.

What is still allowed? And where is it worth going? Here are some answers.

Yes, you can, but not everywhere. The canton of Zurich has issued a fire ban in and near the forest, which will apply until at least August 1st. In concrete terms, this means that in the forest and up to 50 meters from the edge of the forest it is forbidden to light a fire or throw away glowing material such as cigarettes. The ban also applies explicitly to official fireplaces or forest huts.

Anyone wanting to set off fireworks must do so at a distance of at least 200 meters from the edge of the forest. The same goes for bonfires. But that’s not all. Municipalities can enact stricter regulations on their territory, and dozens have already done so. From Andelfingen via Opfikon and Winterthur to Uster, many places have now enacted an absolute ban on fire and fireworks throughout the municipal area.

The example of Uster shows what that means. Fireworks are strictly forbidden there. The charcoal grill on your own terrace may no longer be used at the moment. Only electric and gas grills are allowed. The city of Zurich has meanwhile chosen a middle ground. Fireworks may be set off, but only on “firm, non-combustible surfaces such as gravel and tarred surfaces”. Grilling remains permitted in the city, but only in fixed fixtures such as a grill or fire pit.

Basically, you have to reckon with a warning up to a referral. The city judges, who can impose fines of up to 500 francs, take care of the verdict. Added to this are the procedural costs, which can amount to several hundred francs depending on the case.

The police will monitor compliance with the fire ban. This is what the Uster city police do on August 1 with an additional squad, as Andreas Baumgartner from the Uster city security department says. You will be on the road with both a bike patrol and the quarters service. In particular, the official fireplaces along the lake would be checked. “Many think that it is safe to start a fire near water,” says Baumgartner. However, throwing sparks could quickly become a risk given the prevailing drought. Allotments are also actively controlled by the police.

But a sense of proportion will be exercised during the controls, especially when it comes to barbecues in the private sphere, says Baumgartner. As a rule, it is enough to admonish the people involved and ensure that the fire is extinguished. They will be stricter on those who set off fireworks. There’s more of a fork in the room.

Not too big. Compared to southern Switzerland, forest fires are relatively rare in the canton of Zurich. And even if there is a fire, it is seldom extensive.

This is shown by data collected by the Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape. The information in the Swissfire database is not complete. But you can illustrate the differences within Switzerland well. A total of 44 forest fires were registered for the canton of Zurich, with the data going back over 100 years. A total of 8 hectares of forest were destroyed.

The largest forest fire in the canton occurred on Good Friday. On March 25, 1921, a fire broke out in the Leimbach municipal forest. At the time, the NZZ wrote of significant damage: 2.5 hectares of forest fell victim to the fire. After all, this corresponds to the area of ​​almost 5 football pitches. According to a newspaper report, the fire was caused by a “young boy carelessly throwing away a match”.

Meanwhile, the southern side of the Alps knows much more devastating forest fires. The fires in Misox 2016 destroyed an area of ​​119 hectares of forest. That is almost 15 times the size of the area burned down by all the forest fires recorded in the canton of Zurich.

The Zurich building department sees the reason for this in the climatic conditions, the topography and the meteorological situation. The authority writes on its website that there are neither foehn valleys nor steppe-like, south-facing slopes in the canton of Zurich, such as in Valais or in the Jura. “In winter, when forest fires are often raging in the south despite the lower temperatures, the sun’s rays are weak here. It is often foggy, i.e. damp, even if there is no precipitation.”

Wolfgang Bollack, spokesman for the canton’s office for landscape and nature, says that Zurich cannot be described as a “forest fire canton” – at least if you look back. “In view of climate change, it is unfortunately to be feared that this will change in the future.”

Yes, there are. After a two-year Corona break, the fireworks at the Rhine Falls are taking place again, each time attracting up to 10,000 visitors. There is a strict ban on fireworks throughout the canton of Schaffhausen this year. However, the authorities have made an exception for the event at the Rhine Falls, which takes place on July 31. The Schaffhausen Government Council justifies this by saying that the event is limited in time and location and has a security concept. The organizers have to ensure that enough firefighters and tank fire engines are available. Endangered areas in the vicinity of the firing points must also be watered in advance.

There is also a large firework display on Lake Zurich. The municipality of Stäfa will hold the event as planned because the fireworks will be set off over the water. The rockets go up at 10:15 p.m. The municipality recommends enjoying the fireworks from the lake on the pedalo. If you still haven’t had enough, two weeks later you can go to the Seenachtfest in Rapperswil, which has two big firework displays planned.

While fireworks and bonfires are the highlights of the national holiday for some, others are concerned. “For animals, the August 1st fireworks display is sheer horror,” writes the Swiss Animal Protection Agency. “When rockets roar and firecrackers crack, hundreds of thousands of pets across the country hole up and livestock panic.” And wild animals also suffered from the “banging”. The organization therefore supports a popular initiative that aims to restrict the use of fireworks for private individuals.

Animal protection also points out that “tens of thousands of small creatures such as hedgehogs, mice or insects are burned in the piles of wood for the August 1 fire” every year. This can be prevented with simple measures. For smaller fires, the organization recommends that the wood should only be collected on the day of the celebration. A protective fence for small creatures should be erected around larger piles of wood, which have to be piled up in advance.

The meteorologists predict the best weather. Meteo Schweiz expects daily highs in Zurich of 29 to 32 degrees for Monday. Blue skies are forecast for the whole day, no rain is announced, and the night should also be clear.

Festive speeches invoking direct democracy, national cohesion or neutrality are as much a part of August 1 as bratwurst and cervelat. However, not all churches go to the trouble of hiring an original speaker. In many places, the mayor or a local representative from the cantonal parliament simply speaks.

At least three Zurich municipalities were able to get a Federal Councilor. Defense Minister Viola Amherd will give the speech in Winterthur, Finance Minister Ueli Maurer is currently visiting Dietlikon, and Ignazio Cassis is traveling by train to the Säuliamt to have brunch and give a lecture at Knonauer Stöckweid.

The Zurich government councilors and government council candidates such as Avenir Suisse director Peter Grünenfelder (Aesch) are also on the move in the communities. Zurich relies on an extraordinary politician. The city has invited Christian Jott Jenny, mayor of St. Moritz, singer and entertainer. It’s supposed to be funny in Oberglatt with comedian Stefan Büsser. And of course a former wrestling king (Ernst Schläpfer in Hochfelden) or a former Mister Switzerland (Renzo Blumenthal in Stadel) should not be missing from the August 1 speakers.

The municipality of Dielsdorf proves that celebrities are not always needed on the speaker’s platform. The resident and firefighter Monika Gehri will perform there. A fitting choice given the prevailing drought.