Add Category
Updated
One man may lose his eye and another man has a serious hand injury after incidents during Territory Day cracker night celebrations.
On Saturday, the Northern Territory marked 39 years of self-governance with cracker night, buying and setting off hundreds of tonnes of explosives.
Across the NT, 24 people presented to hospitals, up from 15 last year and higher than the average of 19.
Five were admitted to the Royal Darwin Hospital, including a man with a hand injury and a man with an eye injury, and three other burns cases.
Eight bystander children were injured, including a one-year-old baby which received a minor burn on its leg.
A 12-year-old in Lajamanu community was airlifted 900 kilometres north to Darwin after receiving a significant eye injury, and remains in hospital in a stable condition.
Police said they received 107 calls, up from 93 last year, while the NT Fire Service answered 416 calls, triple the number received last year.
At 8:30pm on Saturday night, there were almost 60 fires burning in Darwin and Palmerston, according to the NT Fire Service incident map.
A 40-year-old man from Moulden received a serious hand injury when a firework exploded in his hand, Duty Superintendent Rob Burgoyne said.
"He was standing next to his 11-year-old son, but [luckily] he wasn't injured," he said.
"We also had a report of an adult male from Palmerston with a serious eye injury, earlier reports were that he might lose the eye, that's from something going into it at close range."
There were numerous spot fires all across the NT on Saturday night, but Duty Superintendent Burgoyne said one blaze in Melville Street in The Gardens in Darwin was serious.
"Apparently it happens every year for this particular person, embers float across," he said.
"Unfortunately, this year he decided to go out and wasn't there to put out the spot fires, and a shade structure at the front of the residence was completely destroyed, along with a four-wheel drive motor vehicle, two motorbikes, and other household items."
He said the fire was not being treated as suspicious because it was "quite obviously" caused by firework embers.
"Unfortunately for that particular gentleman ... he doesn't have insurance," he said.
'It's about the smart use of fireworks'
Firefighters were kept busy from about 5:00pm onwards, with hot spots everywhere "north of Alice Springs", said Watch Commander Nick Bell from the NT Fire Service.
He said after a big wet season there was a heavy fuel load on the ground, causing a heavy grassfire season in the Top End.
That, combined with Territory Day falling on a Saturday night during the school holidays, created "almost the perfect storm" for fires, he said.
But he deplored the irresponsible use of fireworks by some people.
"There were quite a lot of members of the public letting fireworks off the balconies of high-rise buildings, that was very disappointing, to see that, and other people setting bonfires and also palm fronds [alight]," he said.
"Fireworks used responsibly is not too much of a problem, obviously some accidents occur, but it's really about the smart use of fireworks."
'It's the only place to live'
At Berry Springs, Territorians were celebrating with their families.
"We've got a lot of bangers and wingers and dingers, a lot of noise, a lot of smoke, but that's why we all come here to enjoy it," one man said.
"It's the only place to live, isn't it? If you like loud bangs and noise and the smell of gunpowder, then this is the day to be in the Territory, for sure."
When asked how much he had spent on fireworks for the night, he said: "The missus might be listening so I can't say too much."
Another man, who was setting off fireworks with his nephews and nieces, said he had "spent enough to have a good time".
"Ultimately it brings you back to your childhood, everyone that grew up in the southern states, you get to let fireworks off and it just brings everyone together," he said.
One woman said it was the "companionship and Territory atmosphere" that appealed to her.
"The Territory is the Territory, we're unique, and that's as it always should be," she said.
Topics: carnivals-and-festivals, community-and-society, events, human-interest, darwin-0800, nt
First posted