Chinese authorities have ordered stores to take a number of alternative firework products off the shelves over safety fears, with authorities warning many so-called “cold fireworks” in fact reach temperatures of hundreds of degrees Celsius.
Setting off firecrackers is a longstanding Lunar New Year tradition in China, but Chinese authorities have been tightening restrictions on gunpowder-based products in recent years to combat a worrying rise in fire incidents over the holiday.
The firework bans have sent demand for alternative products skyrocketing. Ahead of the Spring Festival, fairy sticks, electronic fireworks, and cold fireworks became popular, with many stores on e-commerce platform Taobao reportedly selling tens of thousands of such items per month.
Because the products are gunpowder-free, businesses often claim they’re a safe alternative to traditional fireworks. They’re also commonly marketed as being social media-friendly: One Taobao vendor claimed the products “make you look awesome during the New Year.”
But China’s Ministry of Emergency Management is now moving to stamp out the craze, issuing a notice Tuesday requiring stores to freeze all sales of cold fireworks and calling for a crackdown on any unauthorized production, transportation, and sales of the products.
The authorities have been particularly concerned by the rising popularity of products made using steel wool, an inflammable material that resembles a firework when burning. Often named “fire wire,” the products can reach a temperature of 2,000 degrees Celsius when set alight and can easily cause fires or injuries, according to the notice.
