A fireworks display in Hagley Park. A training exercise set residents on edge on Tuesday night.

Loud, earth-shattering booms heard over Christchurch were from a fireworks training exercise.

Confused residents took to social media after hearing explosions in the north-east suburbs around 8pm on Tuesday.

They said the sound had spooked animals and caused the ground to shake.

JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON/FAIRFAX NZ Christchurch gun dealer David Tipple had allowed students completing a fireworks course to train on his property.

"People around here are thinking the third world war started," Redwood resident Ian Forsyth said.

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"Cats and dogs and kids are all hiding and messed up."

The noise was from Gun City founder David Tipple's Marshland property.

He hosts a private fireworks display every year, but the training was unrelated, he said.

Local company Fireworks Professionals had several students completing a fireworks course and were using his property for training.

Police and the Fire Service were told beforehand, Tipple said.

"They had to get the actual licence needed to demonstrate."

A police spokesman confirmed they had been notified.

Neither police or the Fire Service were called out to the noise.

Fireworks Professionals director Anthony Lealand, who was training the students, hung up when contacted.