August 1st is traditionally celebrated with firework displays, bonfires, and barbecues. But this year the festivities will be scaled down due to continued drought and the risk of wildfires in most parts of Switzerland.
Because of continued drought and no relief in sight in the immediate future, fire bans or restrictions are currently in effect in all cantons.
Tighter regulations mean that traditional August 1st celebrations will not be quite as extravagant this year.
This is the general situation right now:
Fire bans
Given that during extreme dry spells even a random spark could set off a massive fire, restrictions on outdoor fires are in effect in all 26 cantons.
Complete bans are in place in Geneva, Vaud, Valais, Neuchâtel, Jura, Fribourg, Ticino, Uri, Schwyz, Glarus, St. Gallen, Aargau, Basel-City and Country, as well as Solothurn.
Geneva, Bern, Lucerne, Zug, Zurich, Schaffhausen, Thurgau, and the two Appenzells, prohibit fires only within 50 metres of forests.
As for Graubünden, it doesn’t have a cantonal regulation in place, so it is up to each municipality to set its own fire bans and/or restrictions.
Let’s move on to another typical feature of August 1st celebrations: barbecues.
It is difficult to imagine National Day festivities without cervelats and veal sausages served with a slice of bread and mustard.
Depending on where you live, their supply may, however, be limited.
That’s because in places where a fire ban is in effect, barbecuing with disposable or charcoal grills is generally prohibited as well.
Electric and gas grills are likely to be allowed though, so check your canton/community regulations in this regard.
What about the main feature of this national holiday, the fireworks?
Again, regulations depend on your place of residence.
In areas where a fire ban is in effect, setting off private fireworks is not permitted; in others, they are authorised under certain conditions.
For instance, in Bern, Obwalden, Nidwalden, Lucerne, Solothurn, Schaffhausen, Zug, Thurgau and the two Appenzells, fireworks are prohibited throughout the respective cantons.
In Geneva, private fireworks are authorised only within a perimeter cordoned off and monitored by the emergency services.
Individual municipalities also have rules in place: Zurich and Winterthur, for example, decreed a total ban on fireworks.
Your community’s website will have all the rules concerning August 1st spelled out on its website – including fines for non-compliance.
Public fireworks, on the other hand – that is, those typically set off by municipal authorities – will take place as usual in many towns, though not in all.
What else should you know about the fireworks?
Many people buy their pyrotechnics in other countries, and the government is advising caution when purchasing fireworks abroad
To import fireworks for the August 1st celebrations, a permit issued by the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol) must be obtained, the Federal Council said.
However, it is possible to import recreational pyrotechnic devices without a permit up to a total gross weight of 2.5 kg per person, and provided that these devices are not already banned in Switzerland – such as ground-exploding fireworks, for example.
An important point to keep in mind is that though some fireworks can be brought into Switzerland from abroad, this does not mean they can actually be set off: their use could be prohibited due to the ongoing drought and high risk of forest fires.
Authorities are therefore urging the public to check local rules in place in their communities.
