However, while there was the inevitable spike in callouts, the figures were comparable with previous new year's eves and no major incidents were reported.

The bulk of smaller incidents involved fireworks and small fires which these can set off.

Hannes Lember, PPA head of operations, said: "We were out in greater numbers to ensure public order and safety."

The PPA had to deal with more domestic violence cases and respond to more alcohol-related issues, than on an average evening.

"We responded to hundreds of calls in which people needed our help. The busiest period came from midnight to the small hours, when sometimes intoxicated people got into fights. Fortunately, there were no serious incidents," Lember went on.

Tarmo Voltein, responsible operational manager at the Rescue Board, concurred, saying New Year's Eve 2024-2025 was calm, relatively speaking.

"Looking at the bigger incidents involving pyrotechnics, as far as we know, there were no major fires. However, a 30-year-old man in Viljandi County was hit in the face by a rocket and had to be hospitalized," Voltein said.

The Rescue Board said it is concerned about the spread of prohibited fireworks in Estonia.

The board responded to 65 calls in the 12 hours up to 6 a.m. Wednesday, most of which related to small fires, often caused by fireworks or their remnants. "Trash bins, rocket casings left burning, and similar small items," Voltein said.

The statistics do not show a spike in more major fires on New Year's Eve.

To prevent the smaller incidents like the bin fires, Voltein recommends ensuring rockets are properly secured before launching.

This should be done: "Into the ground, snow, or sand. Or secured in place, for example, using water bottles," he said.

Voltein gave an example where last night a rocket box tipped over, sending a barrage of rockets into a group of parked cars. "If it had been properly set up, an incident like that would not have happened," he added.

Another concern is that rocket casings can get discarded in trash bins after the fireworks before they have fully extinguished. "You should wait a bit or douse them with water, before putting them in the trash."

While local municipalities, including Tallinn's, have increasingly come to replace fireworks displays with laser light shows on New Year's Eve, this does not bar private individuals from setting them off, as evidenced by Tallinn's skyline around the change of year, as well as in the rest of the country.

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