Amanda Howland and Elliott Winstel visited a roadside fireworks stand in Stafford County late last month. They asked the stand attendant, who set up shop at the corner of Va. 610 and Shelton Shop Road in North Stafford, if they had mortars.
Mortars, often used by professional pyrotechnic companies hired to produce large fireworks displays, are illegal in Virginia.
And that’s what the shop keeper told them, so they settled on buying a less powerful collection of fireworks which the shop keeper had in stock.
Fire chiefs across the region last week said the best way to see fireworks is to attend a professional display.
But if you plan on using illegal fireworks, officials say they will take your fireworks, write you a summons or both.
“If you hand over your fireworks, we will walk away and allow you to walk away. If you do not hand over your fireworks, we will write you a summons and take your fireworks away,” said a Fairfax County Fire Marshal at a display of illegal explosive fireworks last week in Washington.
Fairfax will have 14 arial displays around the county, each of them requiring two county fire marshals to be present before and after the fireworks are shot off.
The marshals on duty at the fireworks displays are just some of the county’s 106-member fire marshal staff who will be out patrolling on the Fourth of July. Last year Fairfax fire marshals were called to 300 calls for illegal fireworks, county officials said. Many of the fireworks now banned in Virginia have in the past caused injury, dismemberment or death, said officials.
With all of the talk of illegal fireworks, some wonder which fireworks are OK to buy and use.
All fireworks sold at approved roadside stands – which have been inspected by county fire officials in their respective jurisdictions – and are OK to buy and use, said officials.
Fire officials pleaded with residents not to travel out of state to purchase fireworks.
There are also some safety precautions you can take for using fireworks:
– Store them in a cool, dry place
– Keep a fire extinguisher on hand in case of an emergency
– If on grass, wet the area down before lighting fireworks
– Avoid drinking alcohol before or during using fireworks
– Use a flashlight to carefully check fireworks that may have not worked
– Only light one firework at a time
