Where the debris lands: what neighbours worry about

The most common worry we hear from customers in crowded parts of Madurai is not about the show itself. It is about the neighbours. Where will the bits land? Will they reach someone’s washing on the next terrace? Fair questions, and worth understanding before you light anything.

Every aerial shot leaves something behind. When a burst opens in the sky, the paper casing and small pieces of card fall back down, usually burnt out by the time they land. From a 30-shot cake, most of this falls within 15 to 20 m of the firing spot. From a 120-shot, expect a circle of 25 to 30 m, stretched further downwind. Rockets are less predictable, because the stick can come down far from where it was launched.

This is why our show plans look at wind direction. On a typical October evening, a north-east breeze carries debris towards the south-west, so we place the cake on the north-east side of an open space, with the audience to one side and nothing hanging downwind. A courteous word to the neighbours that afternoon to take in their washing helps too.

After the show, wait 15 minutes, then soak the spent cake with water and leave it overnight. The next morning, sweep the area and the nearby road. Most of the debris is paper and card and goes into ordinary dry waste once it is cold and wet. A family that cleans its street by 8 am the next day is usually welcomed back next year.