1 year ago
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Residents of a New Zealand town are calling for a ban on private fireworks after a display by a New York billionaire set off a blaze on New Year’s Eve.
Ten minutes into the new year, firefighters were called to fight multiple grass fires at the property of Tony Malkin – chief executive of the entity that owns the Empire State Building – after an extravagant private fireworks display went awry near Queenstown in Central Otago.
By morning the fire was extinguished, after coming within metres of one of two dwellings on the Malkin estate, known as Redemption Song, pictures including satellite images show. It burned around 0.5ha in total.
The display had gone ahead despite a petition by local people concerned about the impact on animals. People are now calling for a wider ban on private fireworks displays.
Johnny Quinn, a neighbour who started the petition to prevent the display, says the Malkins’ decision to proceed despite the community’s objections was not “the Kiwi way”.
“It’s just a joke that an out-of-towner can come in and set off a 14-minute commercial firework display and then burn the hill down,” Quinn says.
After being told “carte blanche” that the display would be going ahead despite his concerns, Quinn and his family left the area with their four horses for New Year’s Eve.
“It basically upset the entire neighbourhood. Everyone within the area had to make plans. People changed their holiday plans. And you’ve got all the FENZ [Fire Emergency New Zealand] people who are inconvenienced. They’ve all got families.
“There’s one neighbour with a dog and the dog is still not OK. It’s still cowering in the corner. You’re talking about long term psychological damage to animals.”
Malkin was yet to apologise for the blaze, Quinn said. A spokesperson for the Malkins said the family would not be making any comment other than that they were “deeply grateful for the expert work” of FENZ and the police.
In comments reported before the display, the property owners said: “As a courtesy beyond any requirement, mindful of house pets and livestock, we have reached out to neighbours to ensure they are apprised of our plans. We will happily consider any reasonable request from our immediate neighbors for financial assistance to move their livestock. We are sorry for any inconvenience”
Quinn and other Queenstown residents have formed a working group and plan to lobby their local MP for a ban on all fireworks other than professionally organised fireworks displays.
“It’s a rural country, and it’s really not the way to go about things – setting off explosives. Some people say animals don’t just sort of hear these things, they feel them as well,” Quinn said.
“I don’t want to stop people having fun. I want people to enjoy themselves, but at the end of the day, it has to be done in an inclusive way and in a safe way.”
It was one of a spate of fires related to fireworks across New Zealand over New Year’s Eve. One display near Auckland resulted in the death of a seven-year-old dog named Lilly, Stuff reported.
English (US)