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County residents still buying fireworks

By Steve Ferris 4 min read

A 2004 amendment to Pennsylvania’s fireworks law that limits most consumer sales to sparklers and novelties hasn’t stopped Fayette County residents from buying them for their Fourth of July celebrations, even though fire and consumer groups say they are dangerous. The amendment says sales of ground and handheld sparklers, toy caps and novelties are not regulated and it refers to them as “items,” and does not consider them fireworks.

However, about 10,000 people seek emergency-room treatment for fireworks injuries ever year and sparklers, fountains and novelties accounted for 40 percent of all emergency room fireworks injuries in 2004, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

The NFPA, U.S. Fire Administration and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommend not allowing children to handle or light fireworks, making sure fireworks are legal before buying them, not standing directly over fireworks when lighting them, not wearing loose clothing while using fireworks, never pointing or throwing fireworks at another person, not lighting fireworks that are not marked with directions, contents and warning labels and keeping a bucket of water, garden hose or fire extinguisher near by.

The CPSC said 6,500 of the 10,800 fireworks injuries in 2005 occurred between June 18 and July 18.

“I’m a safety nut,” Theresa Koon of Grindstone said this week while buying legal fireworks from Calvary Apostolic Church in Uniontown, which is selling them from a tent in the parking lot of the Wal-Mart in South Union Township.

Koon said her husband lights them and her two children are only allowed to watch the show of sparks.

“They watch. My husband lights them,” Koon said. “We supervise.”

The sparklers, fountains and novelties the church is selling are legal, said Patti Peters, who was in charge of the tent.

“These are all legal in the state of Pennsylvania,” Peters said.

The church sells the fireworks as a fund-raiser. Peters said the church obtains the fireworks from the Alabama-based TNT Fireworks and keeps 20 percent of the profits.

Last year, the church sold $35,000 worth of fireworks and kept $7,000.

“That $7,000 represents only 20 percent of our sales,” Peters said, adding that Wal-Mart donates the space in their lot and pallets that separate the merchandise off the ground.

Peters summarized the state’s fireworks law in the same way as Chris Ryder, a spokesman for the state Agriculture Department, which issues licenses for selling consumer fireworks and inspects fireworks manufacturing facilities.

They said fireworks that emit sparks and novelties that do not leave the ground are not regulated, but fireworks that explode or shoot projectiles into the air are regulated.

Novelties include toy smoke devices, snaps, snakes, party poppers and toy caps, according to the amended law.

It says ground and handheld sparkling devices include cylindrical and cone fountains, illuminating torches, ground spinners and wheels.

Fireworks that explode or fire projectiles into the air are classified as consumer or professional grade fireworks.

Ryder said the 2004 amendment allows state residents to buy consumer grade fireworks only if they have a permit to ignite them from the municipality where they plan to set them off.

“They have to have a permit to do so,” Ryder said.

County residents who light consumer grade fireworks without a permit could get a visit from police.

“It’s a crime and we’re going to enforce it,” State Trooper Brian Burden, community relations office for the Uniontown barracks, said. “We respond to complaints. If we see a criminal violation, we’ll file the appropriate charges.”

Using consumer fireworks without a license is a summary offense, according to the fireworks law.

The amendment also allows out-of-state residents to buy consumer grade fireworks from licensed in-state sellers.

The only one of the 54 licensed sellers near Fayette County is The Little Big Shots on Route 40 in Addison, Somerset County.

In addition to the injuries from fireworks, they were also the source of 18,900 fires that caused about $21.8 million in property loss in 2004, according to the USFA. It said 52 percent of those fires occurred in July around Independence Day.

Fireworks started 2,300 structure and vehicle fires in 2003, according to NFPA. Those fires caused $58 million in damages.

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