Fallas 2026 - Nieuws!

First round against mega-petardos in Valencia: surveillance in tourist apartments, European cars and the Turia garden

The Police intensify patrols in the face of the risk of illegal pyrotechnics in the 'super falla weekend' and gunpowder fans warn on networks: "It's going to be the game of the cat and the mouse"

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"This weekend is going to be intense." A policeman stationed in a night group in the city of Valencia recognises him openly. The two days of the 'super fallero weekend' is presented with a high intensity in one of the aspects that most worries the Local and National Police in recent years: the danger of megafirecrackers and the incidence of illegal pyrotechnics during the Fallas. The operation of both bodies has been reinforced for this Saturday and Sunday, as police sources have confirmed to LAS PROVINCIAS. And also the intention of gunpowder fans to explode homemade artefacts: "It's going to be the cat and mouse game in Valencia."

This notice is launched by Pyroduohagen, a German fan who defines himself on the networks as a 'content creator with priotechnics' and who accumulates more than 20,000 followers on each of his Instagram and YouTube profiles. He does it with a post on one of his platforms that he accompanies with a video of the last holidays in Valencia. In the images you can see a group of European tourists throwing a carcass in the garden of the Turia las past Fallas. And everything indicates that many of these fans of illegal pyrotechnics will repeat the scenes and then broadcast the videos on the internet. The audiovisual loot of a risky practice that in 2024 made a young man lose part of his hand when a homemade firecracker exploded.

"Handmade Tracas". That's what the German YouTuber emphasises in another 'post' on his social networks. Precisely the main desire of the groups looking for secluded places in Valencia to launch their pyrotechnic artefacts. The Turia garden is one of the scenarios in which the Police will patrol intensely during these days. We must not forget the threat that in forums like Feuerwerk.net and Vuurwerkcrew.nl launched one of these fans, as LAS PROVINCIAS already published: "Vamos a demoliser el Palau" (referring supposedly and it is expected that in an ironic way to the Palau de la Música).

The fear of the Security Forces is that surveillance in the old channel will move uncontrolled explosions to other points. The environment of the old Formula 1 circuit, the port or the Navy are other areas where these groups usually meet.

The eyes of the agents in Valencia will be focussed on other points: the tourist apartments. These apartments are usually the destination chosen by this type of tourist. Germans, the Netherlands and Belgians are the ones who get carried away by the desire to light illicit wicks. These types of tourists stay more in apartments than in hotels. In these houses they even look for those that have terraces, as you can see some internet forums, to have a private place and away from the eyes of the Security Forces.

It will not be the only centre of attention of the patrols. There is another aspect that they will control a lot, especially during the weekend: the license plates of the cars. Passenger cars of European origin, especially Germany, Belgium or the Netherlands, will be specially controlled by the police. Many of them will be stoppy to the agents for the possible presence of pyrotechnic material in the trunks.

As LAS PROVINCIAS reported last week, the Security Forces also intensively monitor internet forums to dectate launch points or meetups. As published by this newspaper, in one of these forums, Vuurwerkcrew, another pyrotechnics afficionado asks about places to buy firecrackers in Valencia. "Where can I buy them? I don't want to deal with the police...", he says.

In fact, there is a fear between the Netherlands and Spanish authorities. In the European country, pyrotechnics have been banned since last January 1. They can only shoot it professionally and in organised shows. The veto of citizens is total. Obviously when every New Year's Eve in recent years in the Netherlands ends with endless incidents. An example: at New Year's End 2023, 1,200 injuries were reported from the launch of firecrackers.

Last year was already the 'war' in many points of the Fallas. It was also reported by LAS PROVINCIAS. Those responsible for the homemade megafirecrackers were exhibited in videos spread on social networks or YouTube by accounts such as 'Mr Pyro Manager' or 'Street Fire Worker'. In the recordings they showed the closest thing to bombs. That is the case of an artefact launched at the holidays and whose managers take out their chest for their power. 4.2 kilos, as can be read in the subtitles printed in the video.

The artefact was a kind of barrel of fuel manipulated so that it has a spike in its upper part that acts as a wick. The vandals threw him in the Turia gardens, at the height of Jacinto Benavente. The detonation left a rain of sparks almost 20 metres around and a cloud of smoke that exceeds 10 metres high, as the video showed.

The 4.2 kilos is not a trivial figure. The most forceful firecrackers that are launched in any mascletà of the big party of the city do not exceed 200 grams. These artefacts have a load and power 20 times higher than the legal and controlled ones that are fired at noon in the Town Hall Square.

 
Ha ha ha, vuurwerkcrew.nl in het verdachtenbankje 🤭

As we speak: mijn hotel in de buurt van het vroegere F1-circuit. Kennelijk zojuist een meeting van de belhamels, niet te geloven wat er de lucht in ging 😮
 
Wat voor vuurwerk is er te koop en waar?

Tijdens Las Fallas kun je in Valencia op veel plekken vuurwerk kopen en in iedere wijk zijn er wel winkels te vinden waar je consumentenvuurwerk kan kopen.

Er is één winkel die wij onder de aandacht willen brengen en dat is Casual Fireworks. Hier word je door Nederlanders geholpen en ben je verzekerd van goede prijzen en een mooi assortiment.

casualfireworks.jpg



Een weekje geleden ben ik bij deze nieuwe winkel langsgegaan. Ik heb een thread aangemaakt van de shop: Casual Fireworks Valencia
 
Offence against the firecracker wars in Russafa: "tradition and security must be reconciled"

Last year the neighbourhood became a "cohetódromo" that outraged neighbours and merchants

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The City Council of Valencia, in collaboration with the Convivir Russafa platform and the different entities that make up the associative fabric of the neighbourhood, has launched the campaign entitled 'Don't exploit the Fallas. Aquí no', an awareness initiative, aimed at visitors and neighbourhood with the aim of promoting a responsible use of pyrotechnic material and preventing uncivil behaviour on public roads, especially during the holidays. Last year, firecracker wars took place in Russafa to the discontent of the neighbours and protests of the merchants.

This was announced this Wednesday by the president of the Municipal Council of Russafa District and Councillor for Tourism, Innovation and Investments, Paula Llobet, who presented this initiative, accompanied by representatives of neighbourhood associations, Fallas commissions, and commercial entities and the field of consumption of the district, in a call that has been held at the confluence of the streets of Sueca and Puerto Rico.

Tradition and security

Paula Llobet explained that the objective of the campaign is to "make the pyrotechnic tradition of the Fallas compatible with safety and coexistence in the neighbourhoods." In his opinion, "the Fallas are gunpowder and tradition but also harmony, respect and security; and pyrotechnics, which is part of our culture and our identity, must be used with responsibility and respect towards other people."

In Llobet's words, with this initiative the consistory wants to remember that "enjoying the Fallas also implies taking care of the public space and guaranteeing the safety of neighbours and visitors." The action will take place especially at the intersections of Sueca Street, one of the points with the highest concentration of people during the festivities, where in previous years "firecracker wars" and even the creation of improvised "cohetódromos" have been detected.

The purpose of the campaign is to strengthen prevention and make visible the risks associated with the uncontrolled use of firecrackers in spaces with a large influx of public, "appealing to individual and collective responsibility".

Security devices

The initiative will complement the work of the different security devices planned for the days of Fallas through awareness actions and informative presence on the street. It must be taken into account that Russafa is one of the neighbourhoods with the greatest falla activity in the city, and during the big week it receives thousands of visitors, who travel the streets and intersections to access some of the fallas of special section (Cuba-Literato Azorín or Sueca-Literato Azorín, among others), as well as the streets with award-winning festive lighting..

Por ello, la campaña también prestará especial atención a otras zonas de concentración de público, como las inmediaciones del Parque de Manuel Granero. Para trasladar el mensaje de forma cercana, la iniciativa contará con distintos soportes informativos distribuidos por el barrio, como carteles en farolas, material informativo en comercios y establecimientos hosteleros, así como contenidos audiovisuales y físicos en espacios y casales falleros.

Además, el mensaje se difundirá a través de los mupis (muebles urbano para presentación de información o de publicidad) y en el transporte público, con presencia en los autobuses de EMT València con parada o paso cercano por las calles de Russafa.

Informants in the streets

During the Falla week, the platform will also have the work of informants at street level, who will directly convey the prevention messages and distribute badges with the slogan of the campaign, with the aim of remembering in a simple and close way the importance of a responsible use of firecrackers.

They will also observe how firecrackers are used and what their impact is on the environment, both in public space and in the activities of shops, neighbourhood and visitors. The City Council recalls that these actions are complementary to the work of control and action of the police forces against the improper use of pyrotechnic material.

Urinals and containers

Along with the security component, the campaign also aims to contribute to improving cleaning and encouraging civility during the Fallas. To do this, the City Council and the Municipal District Board have designed a special signage - in Spanish, Valencian and English - that will be placed at different points of the streets and streetlights, and where the location of the temporary public urinals installed during the holidays will be indicated, as well as the new location of containers and waste collection points.

"The City Council of Valencia reaffirms its commitment to safe, civic and respectful Fallas with coexistence in the neighbourhoods," stressed Councillor Paula Llobet, while pointing out that "through this initiative, the consistory seeks to involve both neighbours and visitors in the responsible use of pyrotechnics and in the care of public space, with the aim that the celebration of the festivities takes place in a festive atmosphere, safe and compatible with the daily life of the de Russa defa district."

Likewise, from Convivir Russafa they remark, in a statement, that these actions are complementary and reinforce the work of control and action device of the police forces on the improper use of pyrotechnic material by citizens. However, the collective assures that it will maintain direct contact with the Local and National Police to transfer any serious incident, they point out.



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The campaign "Don't exploit the Fallas" rows against the tide at the Russafa cohetódromo

The mediation and messages of the Convivir Russafa campaign to raise awareness about the use of firecrackers have worked effectively in 75% of cases

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The awareness campaign on the responsible use of pyrotechnics is giving good results, they say from Convivir Russafa. The mediation and messages of the campaign "Don't exploit the Fallas" have worked effectively in 75% of the cases. In general, citizens value that the potential danger of firecrackers and the need to protect families, baby strollers and people in wheelchairs are remembered, and agree to move to safer areas where there is no public concentration.

During the interventions carried out between Friday and Sunday, from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., it has been possible to maintain the flow of families and visitors through Sueca Street to enjoy the illuminated streets without incident. The work will continue until Wednesday, March 18. On the other hand, Convivir Russafa emphasises the work and fundamental role of the Local Police, since their presence allows us to launch a deterrent message to those who do not attend to the messages of awareness and because exemplary fines are necessary to modify habits in the use of pyrotechnics. In this sense, the collective recognises their patience and capacity for punctual, surgical and exemplary intervention, especially in the moments of greatest influx in Russafa.

Being the first time that this type of campaign is carried out at street level, and considering the social permissiveness about the use of firecrackers, there is a lot of work to do to combat the low perception of risk that exists among people and avoid the normalisation of F3, even among children, they point out from the association. The truth is that Russafa continues to be one of the hot spots of the massive use of rockets at Josephine festivals and, as every year, roundabouts dedicated solely and exclusively to burning gunpowder in large quantities are formed, with firecracker wars included.

On the other hand, Convivir Russafa considers it necessary to involve establishments that sell firecrackers and review their operation, which should involve controlling sales hours, guaranteeing minimum distances of launching pyrotechnic material from stores and restricting sales to people under the influence of alcohol, among other measures."

Finally, from the platform they thank the support received by the Russafa District Board and the Departments of Tourism and Security for supporting this initiative, which allows to collect very valuable information to transfer proposals to the Falla side and improve both the security and the image of the neighbourhood.

 
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