Don't Play with Fire: Fireworks Safety Tips

Lighting up the sky every Fourth of July, fireworks have brought infinite amounts of enjoyment to local citizens—but fun always has its risks.

Still illegal in Massachusetts, some fireworks were legalized in Rhode Island just last year. Since that time, hawkers' licenses have been issued to businesses wishing to sell their fireworks to residents in addition to fireworks appearing on the shelves of stores such as Stop and Shop.

Although residents must be 18 to purchase or use fireworks, there are many other regulations involved apart from the age restriction.

Rhode Island state law only allows the use, sale and possession of "ground and hand-held sparking devices." This includes sparklers, ground spinners and party poppers, among other such devices.

The law also clearly specifies which fireworks are illegal. "Any firecrackers, rockets, mortars, or any other devices that launch a projectile/and or make a "bang"/detonation are not legal," it states.

East Providence Fire Marshal Oscar Elmasian categorizes all "aerial fireworks," therefore, to be illegal to civilians. To display any form of aerial firework, a special license from the state fire marshal must be obtained.

But ground-based fireworks, which are legal, also pose many risks. According to Elmasian, ground-based fireworks should only be used on a non-combustible surface, never indoor, and never near any combustible objects such as buildings.
"No fireworks should be displayed within 300 feet of a building," Elmasian said.
The flammability of an object is very often not obvious. Insect repellent is highly flammable, even when it is in the form of dry residue on the skin.

And sparklers, the most seemingly innocuous of all fireworks, also pose serious dangers.

"The biggest thing people need to understand is that sparklers burn at a high temperature," Elmasian said. "Even if supervised, a sparkler can burn anywhere from 1600 to 2000 degrees, so to a small child holding that sparkler, it is still dangerous."

If a sparkler fails to reignite, "leave it alone, soak it in water, and keep it wet," Elmasian said.

Elmasian and his colleagues are working closely with the city clerk's office to ensure the safety in the use and sales of consumer fireworks this summer.