Are wedding venues in Goa safe from accidental fire mishaps?

PANAJI

With the tragic fire taking the toll of 25 lives at the night club in Arpora, and shaking not only the State but the nation, questions are now raised on the safety of the wedding and party venues, where indoor fireworks or pyro guns are played during the celebrations. Are wedding venues in Goa safe from accidental fire mishaps?

The handheld sparkler pyro gun/party gun used during private parties, functions, pubs, events, weddings and all kinds of celebrations sometimes can be a risk factor for causing fire and putting lives of those present around in danger. Many venues ban their usage, though there is no restriction on their use by the authorities. Mostly used at private occasions, such pyro guns have been a cause of fire in the past. Also, the fireworks during weddings can invite fire, if the sparks fall on the decorations, curtain cloth or anyone’s dress. Most venues have rules regarding the usage of fireworks, though no undertakings are signed in writing and clients are advised verbally not to use them or to use them in certain, demarcated areas.

Quinta de Valadares at Nuvem, an outdoor venue spread across 14,000 sq mts with a capacity to accommodate 1500 guests has a covered buffet area, one main entry, one service entry, three exits and one staff exit at the back side. “Fireworks are not allowed inside the venue. We have an area outside our premises from where fireworks are lit. At the outdoor venue cold pyros are allowed which the décor team handles,” stated Gawin Valadares, partner.

Abraham Fernandes, owner at Leela Gardens, an open air venue near Big Foot in Loutolim has certain areas marked to play fireworks or firecrackers. “We warn our guests to use only those areas if at all they want to have fireworks. And we follow all safety norms and take all precautions to avoid any unfortunate incident. The venue is insured, and I myself run an insurance agency, so the insurance part is taken care of in case of accidental fire that may be caused due to any reason. Even LPG cylinders can burst accidently, risking lives and property.”

The owner, Cancio Mascarenhas of ‘The Village (Stone Quarry)’ at Nuvem has banned all sorts of fireworks at the venue for the past eight years. “Though our venue is open air with a capacity to accommodate 1000 persons at a given time, and the place is fully insured for unforeseen circumstances, fireworks of any sorts are not allowed. The guests are strictly told not to use them,” shared Cancio.

He further says that the reason for not allowing firecrackers at this wedding venue was, at the time he was constructing a water park adjacent to this venue, and the fire crackers or rockets would go up in the air and fall in the pool, thus polluting the pool water. “That’s why we had decided to ban fireworks at our venue, so that the waterpark pool remains clean,” says Cancio.

Despite warnings, sometimes overenthusiastic guests do burn fireworks, said Cancio, recalling an incident when during a wedding, the guests sent rockets in the air. "One of the rockets almost hit a nearby house, but fortunately there was no fire. It was past midnight, and I had just returned home from the venue. When my staff informed me of the incident I rushed to the site and handled the situation. Fortunately there are no buildings in the vicinity of our wedding venue. Since that incident, fireworks are a strict 'no' at both our venues. We have fire extinguishers in place,” says Cancio who also runs ‘Froggyland – The Water World’ adjacent to the wedding venue.

Opened in November 2024, the Z Square Banquet in Margao advises the clients not to use pyro guns for fire, and instead use paper pyro which is harmless. “Initially, we experienced that when any kind of smoke is created in the hall, it gets trapped inside as there are no exhausts. Since then we advise the clients not to create even smoke, leave alone fireworks, as even nitrogen ice smoke has consequences if mixed in the food. Children and elderly suffocate due to such smoke that may have side effects. And since our chairs and tables are covered with cloth, any small spark also can cause a big fire so the decorators and clients are told in advance,” said the manager.