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Safety experts: Stay away from fireworks
By Marc Kovac
REYNOLDSBURG
The accounts were gut-wrenching – an elderly couple dead on the lawn outside an fire-engulfed home in Lawrence County and a family of seven, including small children, some with severe burns all over their bodies, in Clermont County.
Both incidents, recounted Monday by Ohio firefighters who responded to the scenes, were caused by fireworks.
In the former, bottle rockets illegally used as part of a neighborhood display likely ignited a nearby home. In the latter, a hot sparkler was dropped on a pile of fireworks, and the resulting explosions hit those standing nearby.
“It is illegal to set these fireworks off in the state Ohio,” said George Burnett, chief of the Rome Volunteer Fire Department. “This tragedy could have been prevented if these types of fireworks had not been set off. ... I encourage all Ohioans to attend public fireworks where trained, licensed exhibitors set these off. ... Please leave it to the professionals.”
The descriptions were offered at a news conference in suburban Columbus, where groups made their annual plea for Ohioans to refrain from using fireworks of any kind.
“Prevent Blindness supports a total ban on backyard fireworks, including sparklers,” said Sherry Williams, president and chief executive officer of Prevent Blindness. “As seemingly innocent as sparklers may sound ... they cause great harm and damage.”
Gary Smith, president of the Child Injury Prevention Alliance, added, “There is no safe way to use consumer fireworks. Every type of legally available firework in this country has been associated with serious injury or death.”
Consumer-class fireworks, including bottle rockets and Roman candles, can be purchased in Ohio by anyone 18 or older, but they cannot be used in the state.
Instead, they must be taken over the state’s borders within 48 hours of purchase. The illegal possession or discharge of such fireworks can result in a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail.
Novelties, including sparklers, snakes, smoke bombs and snaps, are legal for backyard use.
About 10,500 people nationally went to emergency rooms last year seeking treatment for fireworks-related injuries, said Williams, citing new statistics from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Up to half of reported fireworks-related injuries were to youngsters and other spectators who were watching displays, not handling the products.
“Fireworks are extremely dangerous,” Williams said. “Do not purchase, use or store fireworks or sparklers of any type. Protect yourself, your family and your friends by avoiding backyard fireworks and sparklers.”