DC-area fire officials urge public to avoid backyard Fourth of July fireworks displays

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captionElementsArray captionElements captionElementsArray forEach el if el size el style width size width px el style display block DC-area fire personnel urge constituents to avoid backyard Fourth of July fireworks displaysWith the Fourth of July now days away D C -area fire administrators are urging the society to be very careful when it comes to private fireworks Representatives with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments including leaders from various fire departments indicated reporters what can happen if a person mishandles store bought or illegal fireworks and why these devices each summer cause thousands of injuries and a handful of deaths At the Montgomery County Fire Training facility in Gaithersburg Maryland executives blew up a hard plastic prosthetic hand and a watermelon sending debris flying to show the fatal damage a person would sustain if they had an illegal fireworks device such as an M- blow up near them With both explosions reporters were kept a safe distance away but parts of the plastic hand and melon could be seen feet away In nearly people suffered injuries and more than died as a product of illegal fireworks Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Institution Chief Corey Smedley explained the purpose of the annual demonstration is to ensure people enjoy their independence and the Fourth of July in a responsible manner Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services spokesman Pete Piringer and others attending are encouraging people to celebrate the holiday but to do it safely Instead of having fireworks displays in your backyard which are potentially dangerous they revealed it is better to attend one of the numerous constituents events which are much larger and run by professionally trained pyrotechnic experts For their safety and for the wellness of their families and pets we encourage them to go to the population displays of fireworks he commented Related stories I get goose bumps every time Independence Day fireworks are headed for the National Mall Fireworks will light up this Fourth of July Next year could be different if tariff talks fizzle sky-high rooftop parties in DC to celebrate the Fourth of July Leaders also demonstrated what can happen when a careless individual uses a sparkler a popular device that burns at degrees hot enough to melt medal The demonstration proved how a person s shirt could catch fire and prompt severe burns within a matter of seconds Another concern representatives have is the increase in fire calls on July Fourth D C Fire Marshal Ed Kauffman explained his department anticipates a jump in both small and large fires as a product of fiery debris from illegal fireworks displays So when they go up and they burst and the hot ash and the heated fireworks come down you will hear that night that our calls for fires have gone up he stated Dumpsters brush fires house fires like what we saw in the past few days on Bowen Road that s a secondary effect on top of the injuries There are different laws for D C Maryland and Virginia concerning the purchase and use of fireworks Piringer noted personal fireworks are illegal in Maryland s Montgomery and Prince George s counties as well as the City of Baltimore The only fireworks allowed are permitted displays by licensed professionals Consumer fireworks are also illegal in the City of Alexandria in Virginia and several other municipalities in the area also have similar regulations In the municipalities that allow fireworks none may be shot into the air or explode in the air There are also restrictions on the size of the sparks or flames the fireworks can create Plenty of local governments have placed restrictions to feet but Fairfax County allows for a maximum spark of feet Arlington County functionaries also disclosed no fireworks device may leave the ground and that Prince William and Loudoun counties have limits on fireworks lateral movement Kauffman disclosed officers allow fireworks to be sold and reported that stands selling fireworks before the Fourth of July holiday have approved permits and have been inspected to make sure they comply with the city s ordinances Source