County Seizes Big Haul of Illegal Fireworks Over July Fourth Weekend

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Image: Some of the illegal fireworks seized in Prince William County during the “Safe Patriot” campaign.

A law enforcement campaign against illegal fireworks netted about 700 pounds of fireworks, launchers and mortars in Prince William County over the Fourth of July weekend, county officials announced Wednesday.

In the campaign, dubbed “Safe Patriot,” the Prince William County Fire Marshal’s Office teamed up with the county police to prevent “injuries and fires due to the illegal or unsafe use of fireworks,” the fire marshal’s office said in a statement.

Inter-departmental teams were positioned throughout the county on Friday and Saturday to respond to fireworks discharges and complaints from residents. Fire marshals also conducted spot inspections of legal fireworks stands, and provided oversight at professional fireworks displays in Montclair and at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge.

The campaign yielded good results: There was only one report of minor damage to an automobile, and one fire in a dumpster due to improperly discarded fireworks, the fire marshal’s office said.

Illegal fireworks are “fairly prevalent” in Prince William around the Fourth of July because residents and visitors bring them to the county from Pennsylvania, West Virginia and South Carolina, said Assistant Fire Chief/Fire Marshal Lance McClintock. “We occasionally seize illegal fireworks throughout the year due to complaints, but the Fourth of July is our highest level of activity.”

In Virginia, it’s a Class 1 misdemeanor to possess, sell or use fireworks deemed illegal, and punishable by up to one year in jail and a $2,500 fine.

As Lt. Matthew Greenfield, with the county Fire Marshal’s Office, put it: “The laws that regulate fireworks are in place to prevent fires and personal injuries, not only for the users but your neighbors.”