Cooling fireworks fever
Officials urge caution while using explosives
Officials urge caution while using explosives

By Ann Kelley

Published: July 3, 2008

Fireworks stands speckle the countryside, enticing buyers with their brightly colored displays to celebrate the Fourth of July with a bang.

The problem is that "fireworks fever” can lead to fireworks fiascos, said Eric Harlow, assistant fire chief for the Deer Creek Fire Protection District in northwest Oklahoma County.

"Fireworks are great, but people don't see them for what they really are — dangerous explosives,” Harlow said.

The week of Fourth of July typically keeps firefighters busy, but Harlow said he's hoping recent rains and green conditions will keep fire outbreaks from fireworks to a minimum.

Mustang, Choctaw, Spencer, Jones, Harrah and Nicoma Park are the only metro-area cities that allow fireworks to be sold and discharged in city limits.

They're also legal in the unincorporated areas of Cleveland, Oklahoma, Pottawatomie, Canadian and Lincoln counties.

Even where fireworks can be shot, there are penalties for using them recklessly or intentionally starting a fire, said Mark Myers, spokesman for the Oklahoma County sheriff's Office.

Myers said buying and discharging varieties of fireworks that are deemed unsafe or illegal to use also can get a person in hot water.

Shawnee Fire Chief Jimmy Gibson said illegal explosives are often unpackaged and come without safety warnings or any indication of where they were manufactured. Sometimes they're wrapped in nothing but plain brown paper, he said.

Gibson said they're made in illicit factories and other unsafe environments, which make them dangerous to use. Some of the more common illegal fireworks go by the names M80 and Quarter Stick, he said.

Even when using legal fireworks, some cities have guidelines to regulate their use.

In Jones, fireworks can only be discharged from 8 a.m. to midnight on July 4, said Joe Bradley, spokesman for the police department.

Bradley said there are very few problems with fireworks on Independence Day, but in the days that follow they're plagued with calls about people shooting off left overs.

"Our advice is to use them up on the Fourth,” Bradley said. "After that, we confiscate them and the person could be fined up to $200.”

In Oklahoma City, fireworks have been banned for more than 30 years and the fine for possessing them is $200.

This includes sparklers and bottle rockets, Assistant Fire Marshal Kellie Lee said.

"People are surprised to learn their childhood favorite, sparklers, are not allowed in Oklahoma City,” Lee said. "They simply aren't safe since they generate heat in excess of 2,000 degrees.”

Lee said on Independence Day in a typical year, more fires are reported than any other single day. Fireworks account for half of those reports. And the victims of such fires are typically children age 10 to 14, who are 2 1/2 times more likely than adults to be burned, she said.

Dr. Herbert Meites, medical director for Integris Burn Center in Oklahoma City, said people are most commonly burned in the face and hands by fireworks.

Even the smallest incident with fireworks can create a major injury — one spark to the eye can cause permanent blindness, Meites said.

The fireworks that seem to cause the most injuries are Roman candles, cherry bombs and firecrackers, probably because they're the least expensive and most popular, Meites said.

Meites said some injuries could be prevented by wearing gloves, long sleeves and goggles.

For small burns, the doctor recommends washing the wound with soap and water, applying first aid cream and seeking medical help the next day. For burns to the face or eyes, or for a burn larger than half the size of the palm of the hand, go to the emergency room immediately, he said. Meites added that the safest way to enjoy fireworks is to attend a public fireworks display.

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