New Year’s and fireworks go hand-in-hand, but if you’re not safe, you could lose yours.
The Delaware Office of the State Fire Marshal wants to remind Delawareans that fireworks can cause serious injury or death.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that there were an estimated 10,200 fireworks-related injuries in 2022.
Fireworks, firecrackers, rockets, torpedoes, Roman candles, and fire balloons are amongst the pyrotechnics that are illegal to possess, sell, or use in the State of Delaware without a permit.
Sparklers and ground based items are legal to use three times a year in Delaware, including on December 31st and January 1st – and can be purchased by legal adults in the 30 days leading up to those dates.
Getting caught using or possessing illegal fireworks is a misdemeanor offense that results in a minimum fine of $100. And Assistant State Fire Marshal B. Scott Bullock says using an illegal device can also result in felony charges.
“If somebody sets an illegal firework off, and it lands on your neighbors house and sets their house on fire, then you are subject to being arrested for an arson third, which is a felony. Where you intentionally did this, but you recklessly damaged somebody else’s structure," explained Bullock.
He says the best course of action is to skip the hassle of a homemade show and instead attend a professional one on New Year's Eve.
But for those who want to set off fireworks, there are some rules they should follow to stay safe.
“We ask that the residents and visitors that are going to use them create a minimum 20 foot safety perimeter around the device, where you don’t let any people inside of the perimeter, and you don’t have any available combustibles inside that perimeter. We also urge people to put them on a solid surface,” said Bullock.
He adds a driveway works, but if one isn’t available it’s important to use a concrete block or something similar that will prevent the firework from falling over.
Proper fireworks disposal is also vital to avoiding fires. Prematurely throwing a firework that is still hot into a trash can led to six house fires last year.
Bullock says to wait at least 30 minutes to approach the used firework, pour water over it, and when it is placed in a trash can, make sure it is not near anything that could ignite.
