Published: June 25, 2008 01:09 am            

July 4th fireworks

Play it safe when enjoying the holiday

FAIRMONT — You can have your fireworks this July 4 ... “As long as they don’t go bang,” said Fire Chief of the City of Fairmont Roger Wilson.

Fireworks are classified as either consumer (the kind you can buy at the local store or parking-lot tent) or display (the kind the professionals set off).

Only a certain kind of consumer fireworks is legally sold in West Virginia: “novelties and sparklers,” sparkling devices (fountains, wire sparklers, trick noisemakers, smoke devices, snakes, glowworms) and other devices that emit showers of sparks and sometimes a whistling or crackling effect when burning.

They may not be sold to anyone under age 16.

“Above all else, never let a child handle any of these without close adult supervision,” he added.

Sparklers are pretty, as they crackle and sizzle and sparkle. But they’re not harmless.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, burning at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees, sparklers have caused more injuries to children under age 5 than any other type of firework.

“They can burn the paint right off a car,” Wilson said.

Even after the sparkle is gone, the wire can still be hot enough to burn, he cautioned.

Although legal consumer fireworks that comply with the Consumer Product Safety Commission regulations can be relatively safe, all fireworks are hazardous and can cause injury.

“Keep away from clothing, flammable liquids and dry, flammable materials,” Wilson said.

The following are illegal to sell in West Virginia: firecrackers, torpedoes, sky rockets, roman candles, daygo bombs, reloadable shells, festival balls or shots, cherry bombs, M-80 salutes and mail-order kits designed to build fireworks.

Certain types of fireworks — including aerial bombs, cherry bombs, M-80 salutes, quarter sticks, and firecrackers with more than two grains of powder — are illegal in all 50 states under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act.

Some fireworks such as illegal firecracker-type devices and professional display fireworks should never be used or handled by consumers or children due to serious injuries and death that can and do occur from such use or handling.

In 2004, according to the CDC, more than 9,600 persons were treated for fireworks-related injuries, nearly half of them children under 15. Most fireworks injuries involve burns, with hands, eyes, and the head the most commonly injured parts of the body. Unfortunately, fireworks injuries often cause permanent damage, disfigurement, blindness, and, occasionally, death.

One problem is that surrounding states, like Ohio and Pennsylvania, sell fireworks that are legal there, but not in West Virginia, Wilson said.

“Then you’ve got people bringing (illegal fireworks) in from out of state,” he said. “That’s more of a danger than anything.

“You cannot bring them across state lines. It’s strictly illegal to go out of state and buy fireworks” that are outlawed in West Virginia.

Besides, there are a lot more fun ways to enjoy Independence Day, he said.

“Have a cookout. Go boating. Be with family and friends. You don’t have to have fireworks to have a good time. July 4 is not an excuse to buy fireworks that go ‘boom.’

“They are considered hazardous materials and may be considered Class A or Class B explosives, and may have to be transported in special armored vehicles and stored in a properly licensed fireproof battery.

“There’s always the allure of fireworks. I think it’s human nature. But I say safety is number one.”

Fireworks packages sold in tents and stores contain legal devices, he said.

“They are very closely monitored ... as July 4 rolls around ... to make sure they’re selling legal stuff.

“If you purchase or sell illegal fireworks, you are subject to fines and/or arrest, and confiscation of those fireworks.”

Wilson, his firefighters and the pyrotechnicians putting on the July 4 show will sweep the area to sure that there are no unexploded shells after the show.

“Fireworks have to be used responsibly, under adult supervision. That’s the key.

“Fireworks may be set off only by licensed pyrotechnicians,” he said. “They take special classes on how to handle fireworks safely.”

Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them, cautions the office of West Virginia Attorney General Darrell McGraw.

Also, avoid buying fireworks that come in brown paper packaging. This is often a sign that the fireworks were made for professional shows and could pose a danger to consumers.

For additional information on product safety, including product safety recalls, visit www.wvago.gov or contact McGraw’s toll-free consumer hotline at 1-800-368-8808.

If you just have to have your fireworks fix this Fourth, make it easy on yourself: Go to any of the many local fireworks displays in the area.

“That’s always the safest bet,” he said. “Go enjoy a show that someone else has put on. It’s prettier, cheaper and a lot less work for you.

“All you have to do it sit down and say ‘oooh’ and ‘ahhh.’”

E-mail Debra Minor Wilson at dwilson@timeswv.com.

        

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