Credit: Yasmin Perez
As the unofficial start to summer kicks off this weekend, fire officials reminded Levittown-area residents about the dangers of fireworks.
The fire marshals from Bristol Township, Falls Township, and Middletown all warned Friday that fireworks can be dangerous.
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Jim McGuire, the fire marshal in Middletown, said that fireworks complaints have been up since Pennsylvania introduced relaxed regulations that allow for easier access to a wide variety of fireworks.
“We are still seeing issues and the emergency rooms are seeing burns,” he said.
In Falls Township, Fire Marshal Rich Dippolito said his community hasn’t seen an uptick in injuries, but there certainly has been a rise in complaints about fireworks, often at all hours of the night. The complaints, he said, have come into his office and also have been spotted across social media.
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Under state law, fireworks cannot be discharged within 150 feet, approximately half of a football field, of any occupied structure, regardless of whether there is a person inside. In addition to areas in close proximity to structures, discharging fireworks is prohibited on all public property, included streets, parks, and open spaces. Fireworks also cannot be discharged within or toward a motor vehicle or building, or by anyone under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Display-grade fireworks are only permissible when a permit is obtained.
Dippolito and McGuire both said there are not many places, aside from a few private properties, in their townships that would even be large enough to fall under the new state law.
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“People think that because you can buy them that they’re legal to shoot anywhere,” Dippolito said, adding that those shooting fireworks off don’t often consider families with young kids, those with PTSD, and pets who can become frantic.
McGuire said his staff and police will be stepping up fireworks law violation enforcement and complaint response again this summer. An enforcement and public information program first started last year after numerous complaints from resident.
“There are mainly some isolated areas where we are seeing problems,” McGuire said.
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The National Fire Protection Association cited statistics last year that fireworks are to blame for an average of 18,500 fires per year. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said there were 12,900 people with firework-related injuries at American hospitals in 2017.
Middletown has seen a number of fireworks-related injuries and even a death in the past decade. McGuire said the most recent problem in the township happened when fireworks set the bushes outside of a home ablaze.
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