There is a Thin Line between Celebration and Disaster
Photos and story by Hannah Falcon
This week we mark America’s Independence Day and nothing is more American than celebrating with family, friends and fireworks. However, if not used properly, fireworks can lead to injury, fire or the loss of a home.
Spring is an unincorporated area that means that there is little stopping residents from setting off fireworks. With that in mind, the Spring Fire Department encourages residents to use fireworks safely and responsibly. Spring Fire teamed up with Top Dog Fireworks to create a series of videos showing residents and customers how to safely detonate, observe and dispose of fireworks.
Spring firefighter Josh Posey reminds Spring residents to always read the labels and select a designated shooter because if they misuse fireworks they will be held accountable for any property damage or injury to others.
(Photo: Firefighter Josh Posey)
“If you do pop fireworks, you want to designate a shooter, someone who is not drinking alcohol and over the age of 18,” Posey said. “Make sure you don’t use any homemade fireworks or illegal fireworks. The way you would know if they’re illegal is if they don’t have any sort of label on them or you purchased them at a place other than a licensed fireworks store.”
(Photo: Spring firefighters Jacob Bailey and Josh Posey with Top Dog Fireworks representatives Jason Fallin and Mike Filewicz)
Mike Filewicz, creative director for Top Dog Fireworks, says many make common mistakes before lighting fireworks, such as storing them in the wrong place.
“Store them properly in a dry, covered area,” Filewicz said. “Some common unsafe practices are lighting fireworks in a field of dry grass on a windy day, standing directly over fireworks as you light them or holding fireworks in your hand lighting them and throwing them.”
It is very important to have a proper set up when setting off fireworks. Aerial fireworks should be on flat ground and anything that is not aerial should be set up on a hard, flat surface. Fireworks should always be set off one at a time and at a safe distance from crowds of people, cars, houses and trees. Posey encourages those who are not setting off fireworks to make sure their houses are safe from firework debris.
“If you’re not going to pop fireworks but you live in an area where others could pop fireworks, be sure to clear pine needles that are on your roof or around your house and also keep pets indoors,” Posey said.
(Photo: Firefighter Jacob Bailey safely detonates a fountain firework)
Improper disposal of fireworks can lead to disastrous fires. When disposing of fireworks, thoroughly dowse everything with water and leave them out for about 12 hours overnight. After they sat out, soak them again and double bag them in garbage bags before throwing them away.
Use a similar procedure for fireworks that fail to ignite.
“If a firework is a dud let it rest for about 5 minutes,” Filewicz said. “Then douse it and let it sit for 12 hours or overnight. Make sure to double bag the dud and douse it more inside the trash bags before throwing it in a trash bag or dumpster.”
(Photo: Firefighter Jacob Bailey puts out a trashcan fire from improperly disposed fireworks)
CLICK HERE to view all the fireworks safety videos on the Spring Fire Department Facebook page.
Hannah Falcon is a sophomore Communication major at Texas A&M University. A Staff Writer and Life & Arts Editor for the Texas A&M Battalion, Falcon is spending the summer as a volunteer writer for Spring Fire Community News.