Safe fireworks?

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Tom

Tom

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Coming from the UK, we're familiar with fireworks to celebrate holidays. Every July 4th holiday (since being in CA), we worried about fireworks landing on our shake roof. We eventually re-roofed with inflamable shakes.

Our county and several adjacent counties make private fireworks illegal. Since we have limited local Sheriff's office coverage, numerous neighbors set off fireworks for 3 nights, and they were LOUD. Our dog stresses out every year. At the suggestion of a vet, Chris gives doggie a Benadril, but it didn't help this year.

One year, in my full baritone voice, I stood on our deck and yelled "Fireworks are illegal". Friends on another bay heard it, and everything shut down.

Some local homes have experienced fire damage from fireworks.
 
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Every year, there are reported houses that burn down because of improper use of fire works.

Last year my son's ex-wife and the "x's" new husband burned their house down when they did something stupid with fireworks. My grand son lost most of his clothes and all his toys. Luckily, (my son lives with us), my son had a complete separate set of clothes and the kids most cherrished electronic toys and games that he drags back and forth where ever he's spending the week. And the week of the fire, he was with us.

So yea, people are stupid! Absolutely stupid! And I'm not afraid to tell anyone that to their face... no matter who they are.
 
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I live under a large canopy of a live oak tree that always makes me nervous on the 5th of July and on the 1st of January. For some reason morons love to set off fireworks on the 4th of July and new years eve. It is bad enough that the noise keeps me awake but the worrying is worse. Fireworks must be legal here since there are so many fireworks stands.
 
Aye, Chris noted that our windows were bending.
 
Sade fireworks... Every year usually on the Saturday before July 4 Detroit and Windosor get together to celebrate both Canada Day and Independence day. A barge loaded with fireworks is anchored in the middle of the Detroit river and operated by Remote control.... WDIV films the event.
That's as safe as it gets.
Sadly after the event dozens of drivers run into each others cars on the 5 hour traffic jam trying to go home.
And one night a couple of bank robbers got the bright (Very dim) Idea to rob a bank and get away in the crowd.. Well they got away.. sort of.. Trooper on his way in to the post for overtime traffic duty spotted robbery in progress and called me. (His soon to be dispatcher when he went on duty) I Called Kevin over at Detroit Police Dispatch and he called the air unit.. They got away all the way to jail.
 
John From Detroit said:
Sade fireworks... Every year usually on the Saturday before July 4 Detroit and Windosor get together to celebrate both Canada Day and Independence day. A barge loaded with fireworks is anchored in the middle of the Detroit river and operated by Remote control.... WDIV films the event.
That's as safe as it gets.
Sadly after the event dozens of drivers run into each others cars on the 5 hour traffic jam trying to go home.
And one night a couple of bank robbers got the bright (Very dim) Idea to rob a bank and get away in the crowd.. Well they got away.. sort of.. Trooper on his way in to the post for overtime traffic duty spotted robbery in progress and called me. (His soon to be dispatcher when he went on duty) I Called Kevin over at Detroit Police Dispatch and he called the air unit.. They got away all the way to jail.
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Banks are open that late at night. How else could they get in without setting off any alarms and if it was after hours, didn’t they have a huge safe they had to get into?
 
I can’t think of a dumber way to literally light money on fire and create unsafe situations for other people and animals. Most fireworks are imported from China anyhow.
 
Skookum said:
I can’t think of a dumber way to literally light money on fire and create unsafe situations for other people and animals. Most fireworks are imported from China anyhow.
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There are myriad ways in which we waste money. But on the other hand when we waste money on something somebody else makes money. There’s probably not enough room in a single post to list all the things we purchase that somebody thinks is a waste of money.
 
Oldgator73 said:
There are myriad ways in which we waste money. But on the other hand when we waste money on something somebody else makes money. There’s probably not enough room in a single post to list all the things we purchase that somebody thinks is a waste of money.
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The dichotomy of celebrating Merica with a bunch of imported fireworks is a little strange when you get to thinking about it. 😉 But hey, to each their own, unless fireworks are banned...
 
Skookum said:
The dichotomy of celebrating Merica with a bunch of imported fireworks is a little strange when you get to thinking about it. 😉 But hey, to each their own, unless fireworks are banned...
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We’ve lived in states and/or cities that ban fireworks. But it’s the same problem states have with gun laws; folks just step across the border to purchase them. The fact that most or all fireworks originate from China is the same for many products we purchase. Americans have gotten used to buying products cheap enough to simply throw away when they have reached the end of their life. Fireworks are one of those things not unlike a good meal in that for those that enjoy them that enjoyment only lasts for a very short time.
 
I love fireworks and must be one of the dumb ones who love to celebrate with fire works! I do however limit my childish behavior to the hours of 12:00pm to 8:00pm. Hope I never grow old in spirit.
 
NMJEEP said:
I love fireworks and must be one of the dumb ones who love to celebrate with fire works! I do however limit my childish behavior to the hours of 12:00pm to 8:00pm. Hope I never grow old in spirit.
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12pm to 8pm are daylight hours. Most fireworks are better enjoyed after dark. I can take or leave fireworks. Our daughter and sil bring the grandkids to our house and do the fireworks in the road in front of our house. There’s no traffic at that time of night in our neighborhood. And the fireworks are not so grandiose that the threat of burning a house down is nil. Our dog is afraid of fireworks so he stays in the house. But he is also afraid of the vacuum and other noises.
 
Oldgator73 said:
We’ve lived in states and/or cities that ban fireworks. But it’s the same problem states have with gun laws; folks just step across the border to purchase them. The fact that most or all fireworks originate from China is the same for many products we purchase. Americans have gotten used to buying products cheap enough to simply throw away when they have reached the end of their life. Fireworks are one of those things not unlike a good meal in that for those that enjoy them that enjoyment only lasts for a very short time.
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No disagreement from me. Often, buying an imported product is unavoidable if you need something. Firework legality is a similar argument to gun control. People will still break the law or find a way, and it's often other people who suffer.

My specific dislike of fireworks comes from having been a first responder. Alcohol and explosives just don't mix well, even though many people insist on doing that. I know plenty of people who celebrate responsibly with fireworks - little stuff - and that's their prerogative. They celebrate safely, in general, and try to wrap up before too late in the evening. Out here where I live, we get a lot of very illegal explosives. That's the stuff I really have a problem with. When it goes wrong, someone will actually lose their face, or a hand. It goes on all night, and is often combined with destruction of property.
 
One local 'safe' fireworks show was put on for many years by the Hilton Foundation started by Barron Hilton (put on by the owner of another company since he passed away), known locally as the Hilton Fireworks extravaganza. A large barge is anchored off Mandeville Tip, near the Hilton home on the California Delta, and a professional crew puts on a fabulous fireworks show.

The surrounding waterways have wall-to-wall boats (as many as 4,000) anchored individually or in raftups. Many folks would be anchored out for up to a week ahead, and many were non-stop drinking. We attended in numerous years, but it used to stress me out when a boat or an entire raftup broke away and was headed our way, courtesy of wind &/or current. Too often, the boat owners were running around on their jet skis, unaware of the breakaway &/or too drunk to deal with it.

Hiltons helicoptered in friends and relatives and, around 9.00pm, folks sat on chairs on the lawn to watch the display. After the show, most boaters stayed the night, but all too many headed home by water in the dark. We'd be listening to USCG and local sheriffs on VHF, and there were inevitably boating accidents.
 
Another 'safe' display was put on for the first time by a nearby city; They put on a drone show, with drones carrying lights of various colors. Attendees thought it was neat, but some commented on 'the lack of bangs'.
 
I live in a city that has banned fireworks but of course that doesn't stop them. However the ban has had the unintentional consequence of making emergency services unavailable on the 4th due to 911 being jammed up with calls about firework noises.
 
Alcohol and explosives just don't mix well, even though many people insist on doing that.

Neither does...
Alcohol and marriage
Alcohol and dancing
Alcohol and driving
Alcohol and operating heavy equipment
Alcohol and being a passenger on a airplane
Alcohol and collage/university
Alcohol and cutting yer lawn
Alcohol and bringing out the guitar at the campfire... (Which is my greatest dislike)

What is the common denominator here?
 
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