BOSTON – Last Fourth of July weekend, two members of the National Football League demonstrated just how dangerous fireworks can be. Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback C. J. Wilson was forced to retire from a promising football career after losing two fingers from fireworks on the Fourth of July weekend. That same weekend, Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul mangled his hand with fireworks. Both of these national athletes set a negative example for impressionable youth.
Closer to home, on July 4, 2015, the Saugus Fire Department was called to 7 Oak Point Road for a hand injury to a 23-year old man. The man was lighting off commercial and consumer grade fireworks in his backyard. An explosion injured his hand and he lost multiple fingers. He was med-flighted to Massachusetts General Hospital for surgery. A large cache of fireworks were discovered in a bedroom at the residence.
State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey said, “This year, set a good example for your children and leave the fireworks to the professionals this Fourth of July holiday.”
On July 5, 2015, a 9-year old boy from Boston received burns to 15% of his body surface area and lost one of his hands when the fireworks he was holding exploded in his hand. His 5-year old male friend was also injured.
Ostroskey said, “Children imitate adults. If you use fireworks, children will copy you, not realizing how very dangerous fireworks are.” Fifty-one percent of fireworks-related burn injuries reported by hospitals to the Office of the State Fire Marshal in the last 10 years (2006-2015) were to children under age 18. More than a quarter of the victims, (26%), were children under age 10.
4th of July No Holiday for Firefighters
Wellesley Fire Chief Rick DeLorie, president of the Fire Chiefs’ Association of Massachusetts, said, “The Fourth of July holiday is a busy time for firefighters making sure the professional displays are conducted properly and are safe for the public; we’re busy responding to all types of fires and medical emergencies,” said Chief DeLorie. “In fact, the week of July 4 is one of the busiest times of the year for fires,” he added.
Nearly 800 Major Fires & Explosions from Fireworks
In the past decade (2006-2015) there have been 775 major fire and explosion incidents involving illegal fireworks reported to the Massachusetts Fire Incident Reporting System (MFIRS). These 775 fires and explosions caused 11 civilian injuries, four fire service injuries, and an estimated dollar loss of $1.8 million. This is quite a substantial amount since most fireworks related fires are outside brush fires and do not usually have high loss figures.
- On January 1, 2015 at 7:58 p.m., the Westfield Fire Department was called to a 1-acre grass fire in a farmer’s field. The fire was started by fireworks. Crews were on scene for one hour.
- On May 22, 2015, at 3:36 p.m., the Huntington Fire Department was called to a 3-acre brush fire started by fireworks. Firefighters were on scene for over three hours.
- On June 27, 2015, at 6:11 p.m., the Brewster Fire Department was called to a 2- acre grass fire on Crosby Lane. The fire was started by fireworks. It took companies almost an hour and a half to extinguish the fire.
A majority of fireworks fires and injuries occurred during the week of the Fourth of July holiday.
- On July 4, 2015, a 48-year old Boylston man received burns to his legs from fireworks at an (illegal) show at Lake Hiawatha in Blackstone, MA. Empty mortar-style fireworks boxes were tossed into a bonfire after they were used. An unexploded one ignited and struck him in his legs.
- On July 4, 2015, at 11:27 p.m., the Brockton Fire Department responded to a fire in a pick-up truck that was started by fireworks. The owner had been setting off fireworks in his driveway. He waited approximately 15 minutes for them to cool off and put all of the debris in the bed of his truck that had a plastic bed liner. About an hour later a passerby notified him that his truck was on fire.
All Fireworks Are Illegal in Massachusetts
The possession and use of all fireworks by private citizens is illegal in Massachusetts. This includes Class C fireworks which are sometimes falsely called “safe and sane fireworks. Class C fireworks include sparklers, party poppers, snappers, firecrackers, spinners, cherry bombs and more. Sparklers burn at 1800ºF. It is illegal to transport fireworks into Massachusetts, even if they were purchased legally elsewhere. Illegal fireworks can be confiscated on the spot.
Over the 2015 Fourth of July weekend, the Dennis Fire Department in conjunction with the Dennis Police Department confiscated large quantities of fireworks from several locations within Dennis. The estimated value of all the confiscated fireworks was between $7,000 – $8,000.
For more information on the dangers of fireworks, go to the Department of Fire Services webpage Leave the Fireworks to the Professionals.
