Before you light
- Read the warning label on every item.
- Pick a flat, hard surface (concrete or packed dirt). Avoid grass in dry conditions.
- Set up at least 50 feet downwind from spectators for 200g cakes and 200 feet for shell kits and finale racks.
- A bucket of water and a hose — both ready. A garden hose isn’t enough for a 500g cake misfire.
- Long lighters or punks. Never a match held by hand.
- Check the local burn ban — high wind or fire-watch advisories cancel the show.
While lighting
- One person lights. Everyone else stays back.
- Light the fuse, walk away (don’t run — tripping is a bigger risk than the cake going early). Never lean over an item.
- If a cake doesn’t fire, wait 15 minutes before approaching. Soak in water for another 15 before disposing.
- Adults only (21+) light anything. Keep children well back with an adult supervising.
- No alcohol around the firing line. Save it for after.
After the show
- Soak every spent item in water for at least 20 minutes before bagging. Smoldering shells in a trash can cause house fires.
- Sweep cardboard debris — a hot ember on dry grass at 2 AM is how barns burn.
- Walk the firing line in daylight the next morning. Bag anything that didn’t fully consume.