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Community Corner

Fireworks Safety Tips for This 4th of July

A few ways to safely enjoy fireworks this Fourth of July.

For many, the Fourth of July and fireworks go hand-in-hand. However, each year, fire officials warn that, when amateurs and explosives are involved, Fourth of July fireworks very easily leave someone handless – or worse.

According to data on a report titled “Leave Fireworks to Pros,” from 2002 to 2011, there were 804 major fire and explosion incidents involving illegal fireworks reported in Massachusetts, which caused one civilian death, 18 civilian injuries, four fire service injuries and an estimated $2.5 million loss.

Except by licensed professionals, the use of fireworks is illegal in Massachusetts, which has adopted the Model Fireworks Law. It’s also illegal to transport fireworks into Massachusetts, and illegal fireworks can be confiscated on the spot.

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When asked about the issue, Foxborough police chief Ed O’Leary advised against the use to fireworks because of their illegal nature in Massachusetts and the lack of rain.

“Given the lack of rain that we’ve had in our area, I would say it is a very dangerous practice," O'Leary said. "It does create potential hazards of the safety of those that are using the fireworks and I think it increases the chance of having a fire started in a very dry summer time. It is against the law to possess fireworks here in the Commonwealth as well as shooting them off does disturb the peace so I’m not an advocate of anyone using them.”

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On its website, the Quincy-based National Fire Protection Association, which advocates for the avoidance of consumer fireworks and encourages folks to enjoy professional displays, offers some “Fireworks Safety Tips.”

Those tips -- attached above as a PDF -- are essentially a reminder the safest way to enjoy fireworks is to just watch the fireworks at a public display put on by professionals. They also note that sparklers and firecrackers burn at 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, which is more than hot enough to melt glass and cause a nasty third-degree burn. 

Speaking of sparklers, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, those little incense-looking light sticks cause 27 percent of all fireworks-related injuries. 

 

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