The annual crackdown on fireworks purchasers forward of the Fourth of July is nicely underway within the Bay State, as State Police have seized hundreds of unlawful fireworks and issued 10 summonses to this point in June.
After fireworks incidents jumped final yr in Massachusetts, public security officers are once more urging residents to depart fireworks to the professionals this summer time.
“@MassStatePolice have seized 1000’s of illegal fireworks and issued 10 summonses so far this month,” the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services tweeted on Wednesday.
“Fireworks are illegal in Massachusetts even if bought legally in another state,” the state company added. “Don’t risk injury, fire, or a day in court: Leave fireworks to the pros.”
After a record-setting variety of fireworks-related fires had been reported in 2020 after which a pointy decline in 2021, fireworks incidents in Massachusetts rebounded final yr.
Fireworks-related fires and explosions in Massachusetts skyrocketed on the top of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaping from 57 incidents in 2019 to 189 incidents in 2020. These numbers dropped in 2021, when 80 incidents had been reported statewide.
In 2022, nevertheless, Massachusetts fireplace departments reported 106 fires and explosions tied to fireworks, a virtually 33% improve over 2021.
More than half of those incidents happened in the course of the week of July 4, 2022. Overall, the fireworks-related incidents final yr brought about 38 accidents and $414,279 in damages — greater than double the property loss attributable to fireworks in 2020.
“Every single year in Massachusetts, people are hurt and property is destroyed by illegal fireworks,” State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey mentioned. “As we count down to the weeks when most of these incidents occur, we’re reminding everyone that fireworks are illegal because they are dangerous. There will be plenty of permitted fireworks displays this summer, so stay safe and leave fireworks to the professionals.”
Last yr, joint enforcement efforts by the Massachusetts State Police and Department of Fire Services led to about 40 felony summonses for violating the state’s fireworks legal guidelines.
They additionally took off the streets practically 3,000 packages of aerial shells, truffles, fountains, bottle rockets, giant rockets, Roman candles, sparklers, and different harmful, unlawful gadgets value upward of $46,000.
The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services has an inventory {of professional} fireworks shows on its web site — www.mass.gov/service-details/leave-fireworks-to-the-professionals.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”