Phoenix task force cracking down on illegal fireworks ahead of 4th of July holiday

PHOENIX — The city of Phoenix is cranking up efforts to crack down on illegal fireworks ahead of the Fourth of July.

The city’s police and fire departments have formed a joint task force to raise awareness of the dangers of fireworks.

“In 2023, the Phoenix Fire Department saw a more than 700% increase in fire-related calls on the July 4 holiday compared to our non-holiday averages. This dramatic spike caused us to take action,” Assistant Fire Chief Eric Williams said during a demonstration on Tuesday.

Williams said the city orchestrated a media outreach campaign last year, which contributed to a 37% reduction in fireworks-related fires year-over-year. This new task force is a continuation of those efforts.

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Williams said the task force is also scaling up inspections of sales locations. While inspections used to be conducted only after someone filed a complaint, the city plans to inspect every vendor and confiscate any illegal fireworks they find this year. So far, 200 stores have been inspected.

How to identify illegal fireworks in Arizona

Sales for next week’s holiday started Tuesday and run through July 6. The city has a webpage explaining the do’s and don’ts of fireworks in Arizona.

Snakes, sparklers, ground spinners are all legal for public use. Anything else, leave to the professionals.

Police Lt. Brian Rimsza said, in general, if a firework shoots into the air or makes a loud boom, it is illegal. That includes bottle rockets, roman candles and firecrackers.

“Every year, we see people injured, we see people who lose their homes and are displaced. The Fourth of July is the number one day where pets go missing because of loud explosions. We have vulnerable populations in our community, and so it’s important we take into account everyone that’s impacted by prohibited use fireworks,” Rimsza said.

During Tuesday’s demonstration, the Phoenix Fire Department showed how quickly a house fire can start if a firework isn’t thrown away properly.

Experts recommend soaking used fireworks in water for 24 hours before throwing them away to prevent a fire from starting in your trashcan that can quickly spread.

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