MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) - As Fourth of July weekend gets underway, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue stressed the importance of purchasing fireworks in Miami-Dade County that are not only safe, but also legal.
Fire rescue crews are inspecting firework stands throughout the county to ensure that the fireworks that are sold are only sprinklers. “As long as it says anything about sparkles, they’re good,” said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Inspector Katrina Atkins
Any product that shoots fire or explodes is illegal in the county.
Officials said anyone who has purchased illegal products, or anyone caught selling illegal products, will face serious consequences. “If we happen to see that you have any of those illegal fireworks, you’ll [face] consequences,” Atkins said. “We can confiscate them, you can receive a citation, or there’s a possibility of being shut down. It’s very important.”
Atkins could be seen searching for damaged or dangerous fireworks, Friday. She said she and other inspectors plan to work around the clock to find illegal fireworks. “People try to get sneaky at times,” Atkins said. “They have their ways of trying to be sneaky. But, with us as inspectors, we come out on the weekends, and we come out on the holidays.”
Inspectors said that even the legal fireworks can reach up to 2,000 degrees, which can easily melt glass or metal. “It hurts; it hurts very bad,” said Angelo Jones. “It misfired on me, blew back the gunpowder on my hand.”
Investigators in Lauderhill discovered a stash of illegal fireworks in a warehouse. Three thousand pounds of Roman candles, mortars and bottle rockets were found inside the building. “It’s Fourth of July coming up; we want to get all this off the streets so it’s out of the hands of people that are gonna hurt themselves,” said Lauderhill Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Jeffrey Levy.
New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul is also stressing fireworks safety after he had his fingers amputated outside his Broward County home in 2015. Pierre-Paul created a video that speaks about his experience.
For the most part, the products sold at firework stands in Miami-Dade County are legal. However, officials said that anything that launches into the air before coming down is most likely illegal.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.