More fireworks in hands of novices raises July 4th risks
ATLANTA — For many Americans, the Fourth of July will be more intimate this year. It also could be riskier.
Saturday will be unlike any Independence Day in recent memory. From Atlanta to San Diego, hundreds of fireworks shows have been canceled as officials restrict large gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic, especially as infections surge across the U.S.
With fewer professional celebrations, many Americans are bound to shoot off fireworks in backyards and at block parties. And they already are: Sales have been booming. Some public safety officials say consumer fireworks in more hands means greater danger of injuries and wildfires in parts of the country experiencing dry, scorching weather.
“The general public is buying more than ever before,” said Steve Houser, president of the National Fireworks Association.
While it’s not clear exactly what is driving people to shops, some sellers think fireworks are a diversion for people who stuck at home during the pandemic.
Cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco have received more complaints of illegal fireworks this summer than in previous years. While most states allow at least some types of consumer fireworks, many cities prohibit them, even nonexplosive sparklers. But they acknowledge it is difficult to stop people from buying them just outside city limits where they’re legal.
In Arizona, which has battled wildfires for weeks, thousands of people have signed an online petition calling for Gov. Doug Ducey to ban fireworks this summer.
Delanie Thompson said she started the petition after seeing a neighbor’s house engulfed in flames last week during a wildfire in Phoenix. She said she and her boyfriend were forced to evacuate their home for 30 hours.
Thompson said she got angry when she later saw a roadside tent selling fireworks in a nearby town.
The Fourth of July is “about our independence,” the 28-year-old said. “Not just about fireworks.”
Fireworks can be a big danger as many parts of the West struggle with drought, turning vegetation into tinder for flames.
“It definitely compounds the risk for starting wildfires,” Jessica Gardetto, a spokeswoman for the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, said of fireworks.
The center is predicting more wildfires than usual in July across a swath of the West.
Fires are just one cause for concern. Some doctors fear injuries will increase this year as more people experiment with fireworks at home.
Dr. Erin Miller, a hand surgeon at Harborview
Medical Center in Seattle, said she amputated 42 fingers due to fireworks injuries last year while she was on call during the Fourth of July.
She has simple advice for revelers: Do not use larger fireworks like mortars and cherry bombs.
“Do not mix alcohol or any other substances if you’re choosing to use fireworks,” she added.