It’s just as well they’re licensed.

Image: Melbourne Arts Centre fire. Source; Sun Herald.

Many years ago when fun was allowed you could use fireworks pretty much whenever you wanted celebrate in Australia. Guy Fawkes night on the 5th of November was the main one when they were traditionally used to celebrate the plot to blow up the British House of Lords in 1605.

The aftermath was usually a few injuries and the odd fire, and after a time the do gooders managed to have it stopped. The use of fireworks, like most other activities over here has been regulated and licensed to ensure that the ‘untrained’ are not able to access them. Who knows what might happen if the organizers of the new year celebration in Melbourne had not used qualified people to arrange the spectacle?

Possibly the whole Arts Centre would have burned down:

THE cause of a New Year's Eve fireworks mishap which saw the Arts Centre spire catch alight will be investigated. Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said the spire fire had not caused structural damage or endangered the public because of the exclusion zone around the site. …

The fire is believed to have started from one of the fireworks in the spire, that failed to discharge properly during the spectacular show, which was witnessed by more than half a million people. Mr Brinkman said the fire on the spire burnt itself out after about 40 minutes.

The area around the Arts Centre was evacuated immediately following the end of the of the fireworks. Large pieces of flaming debris fell at about 12.32am, causing smoke to rise from a lower level of the spire.

Of course accidents happen from time to time, but there would a full hue and cry were fireworks used 'illegally' to start a blaze.