DC Fire Chief – NBC4 Washington

Video provided by DC Fire and EMS shows what the DC Fire Chief says are minors with illegal fireworks accidentally setting fire to an apartment complex.

The fire, which broke out earlier this week, quickly spread to about 30 apartments and left 76 people homeless. It was a sobering reminder of the dangers of fireworks as the Fourth of July approaches, one of the most common holidays when they are used.

“This is a very important message from the Fire Department to our community: Fireworks are dangerous,” said DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly.

Washington DC firefighters demonstrated on Thursday how quickly that danger can spread, showing how illegal fireworks can shoot projectiles that can injure people and start fires.

Mitchell Kannry, the D.C. Fire Marshal, is urging residents to only purchase legal fireworks from licensed dealers and follow some common-sense safety tips.

“Never let children use fireworks unsupervised,” Kannry said. “When you’re using legal fireworks, make sure they’re on a flat area, away from any structures, away from any fences, away from any dry brush. And have a water container, a bucket of water, a fire extinguisher.”

Across the country, fireworks are responsible for property damage, injuries and even deaths. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 11 people were killed in fireworks accidents in 2022.

Although the chief claims the apartment fire was started by children playing with illegal fireworks, adults are ultimately responsible.

“We have a pretty big fireworks problem in this community,” Donnelly said. “It’s not just kids. We have a lot of adults who are engaging in it, condoning it and allowing it to happen. Their kids aren’t driving to Pennsylvania or South Carolina to buy fireworks by themselves either. So this is a community problem, and it’s going to take a community to solve it.”

Last year, arson investigator Anne Guglik saved a man's life after an illegal firework exploded in his hand. She happened to be a block away and heard the noise.

“It exploded before they could throw it, and they lost most of their hand… So I was able to go put a tourniquet on his arm to slow the bleeding,” Guglik said.

“When there's a primary, direct blast like that, it shreds the flesh, rather than just cutting it, and the mechanisms that slow blood flow from wounds don't work on the shredded arteries and veins, so he could have bled very quickly,” Guglik added.

According to the CPSC, about 75% of fireworks-related injuries occur in the weeks surrounding the Fourth of July. Fire officials also warn that fireworks sold legally in one state may not be legal in other jurisdictions.