Crime & Safety

Think Fireworks Aren't Dangerous? Just Ask the Fire Department

Watch the professional show instead of setting off your own, officials advise

The Strongsville resident parked his car one Fourth of July and went in his house.

Minutes later, the car was engulfed in flames.

An electrical problem? Nope.

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A sparkler.

Assistant Fire Chief Greg Brown said kids playing next door tossed a lit sparker in the air and it landed in the car.

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"It didn't take long," Brown said. "It got the fabric going in no time."

Sparklers, one of the few firework-type devices it's legal to use in Ohio, are way more dangerous than people realize, said Brown, who noted that dropped or thrown sparklers have caused other fires here.

"They cause eye injuries and hand injuries," he said. "I've heard they get up to 1,800 degrees. Kids throw them in the air, but if they go and pick it up, and it's the wrong end, that's a bad burn."

Brown has plenty of qualms about Ohio's fireworks law, which allows residents to buy them as long as they promise to take them out of the state within 48 hours.

His advice: Stay away from all of them. 

Instead, come to Strongsville's fireworks show, which this year will include 1,900 shells.

"Just come to the community event instead of setting off fireworks yourself," he said. "It's a great time."

Fireworks Safety

The following information was provided by State Fire Marshal Larry Flowers:

  • The only types of that can be legally purchased and discharged in Ohio are trick and novelty devices.These include items that smoke, sparkle, snap and snake.
  • Sparkler wires, which can burn up to 1800 degrees, should immediately be placed in a bucket of water to avoid injury as they remain hot for a few minutes after burnout.
  • Carefully read and follow the label directions on the trick and novelty device packaging.
  • If someone gets burned, run cool water over the wound for two to three minutes and seek medical help if necessary.

"The best way for Ohioans to prevent fireworks injuries is to attend a licensed, professional fireworks exhibition," Flowers said.

Other fireworks, like those sold at fireworks stores around Ohio, can be legally purchased in the state, but you must agree to take them out of Ohio to discharge.

"You must be at least 18 years of age to buy items such as firecrackers and bottle rockets at the stores you see along the roadways of Ohio," Flowers said.  "But firing them off within state boundaries is prohibited."

According to Flowers' report, there are stiff penalties for the illegal possession or discharge of fireworks.  It is a first-degree misdemeanor for non-licensed individuals to discharge fireworks in Ohio, to falsify an application when purchasing fireworks or to possess them for more than 48 hours without taking them out-of-state. First-time offenders are subject to up to a $1,000 fine and six months in prison.


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