Flare

Fires of Bengal ( Bengal light Bengal flame or short Bengalo ) is an effect of pyrotechnics using a white or colored pyrotechnic composition. Bengal lights are used for effective lighting, for example, busts, statues, buildings and gardens. The flame coloration depends on the used metal is admixed to the fuel. Characteristic of flares are a blinding glow and an intense smoke (where it is also possible to generate flames with little smoke).

Conceptual history

The term comes from the historical region of Bengal Bengal in present-day Bangladesh and Northeast India. The local princely courts were lit by colored lights that were generated by chemical reactions. Originally meant by the term bengal fire only the light for brilliant illumination of an object. For the generation of light were sulfur, realgar and saltpeter nitrate - a mineral - used.

Hazard potential

The hazard potential tested defusing service of the Federal Criminal in various test series:

• Extremely high Abbrandtemperaturen around 2000 ° C, which can cause severe burns,
• Very hot slag - usually dripping with torches - the long stays hot even after burning,
• Hot box housing,
• Intense light phenomenon that can at direct eye contact lead to massive glare,
• Possibility of producing a very dense and intense smoke, which can lead to vision disabilities and within large crowds to panikartigem behavior.

Torches

Currently, flares are usually in the form of flares - sometimes in combination with smoke sets - Baroque fireworks, lights for images used in pyrotechnic lights, in outdoor concerts, or even as a warning signal and (sea) distress signal.

The use of these flares can be dangerous, as is burned in them, among other magnesium and thereby produces a flame with a temperature of 1600-2500 ° C. Burns can even be caused when a direct contact with the fire does not even come into existence. However, deletion of these pyrotechnic fire with sand only partly with water impossible. The remains of a burned-out container are long time so hot that they can cause serious burns even at short contact. The torches usually develop much smoke - inhaling the smoke should be avoided for health reasons.

Bengal fire at soccer

Around since the 1980s flares of football fans are lit in the stadium. Due to the risk of injury has occurred in some countries tightening of the law. Many football associations, including the world football body FIFA and European soccer body UEFA to impose for the ignition of pyrotechnics heavy fines against the clubs involved.

• Germany: In all sports stadiums, the use of Bengal fires through the Stadium Rules and / or the Venue Regulations (eg in Bavaria by § 35 para 2 VStättV ) is prohibited. Who smuggles or inflamed flares into the stadium, which therefore threatens a nationwide stadium ban. The use of Bengali fires by spectators in sports facilities is an offense in any case and can be followed under certain circumstances as a criminal offense. The police have begun in 2012 in order to train sniffer dogs to detect pyrotechnic articles, the future to prevent the smuggling of flares in stages. At the same time reject the German Football League and the German Football Association legalize the dialogue initiated by fans campaign pyrotechnics - Emotions strictly respect from, the pursuit of a controlled use of pyrotechnics.
• Austria: On 13 October 2009, the Federal Government decided to look at what happened during football matches an amendment to the Act of 1974 The pyrotechnics pyrotechnics Act 2010 came into force on January 4, 2010.. Affected are pyrotechnic articles with bang effects and all products that contain chemical substances that motion, light, smoke, fog, pressure or cause irritation (including Bengal fire). However, exemptions are possible.
• Switzerland: January 1, 2010 entered a so-called " hooligan Concordat " came into force. It allows government action against perpetrators of violence in the context of sporting events and defines, among other things, the carrying and use of pyrotechnics as authority within the meaning of the Concordat.
• Italy: Officially it is now in all Italian stadiums (not just soccer ) prohibited from using Bengal fire or other pyrotechnics.