The Washington region’s patchwork of fireworks rules means some residents can’t shoot off any, but homeowners just blocks away can delight Independence Day barbecue guests with fountains and sparklers. Public safety officials say they plan to crack down on illegal fireworks this holiday weekend, but getting people to follow regulations in the D.C. area is challenging because some jurisdictions’ rules are more stringent than others, it’s easy to obtain illegal devices and the transient population means people don’t always know the rules.
All consumer fireworks are illegal in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, Alexandria and Falls Church. Some devices — generally, ground-based sparklers that don’t explode or emit flames — are permitted in the District and Arlington, Fairfax and Prince William counties.
Fire officials say they’re educating people about local rules and plan to hit the streets to stop those using illegal devices.
| What’s legal |
| Arlington: Fountains, party poppers, smoke and filter devices, snakes, sparklers |
| D.C.: Toy paper caps, sparklers shorter than 20 inches, torches, cones, fountains, dipsticks, snakes, paper novelty items |
| Fairfax: Sparklers, fountains, Pharaoh’s serpents, caps for pistols, pinwheels, spinning jennies |
| Prince William: Sparklers, fountains, Pharaoh’s serpents, caps for pistols, pinwheels, spinning jennies |
| Alexandria, Falls Church, Montgomery, Prince George’s: All fireworks are banned. |
| Source: Fire departments |
| Fireworks safety tips |
| » Read and follow label directions. |
| » Have a sober adult in charge of lighting. |
| » Do not light fireworks near combustibles. |
| » Only ignite fireworks outdoors. |
| » Keep pets away from fireworks. |
| » Only light one firework at a time. |
| » Have a bucket of water or a hose nearby. |
| Source: Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments |
“It happens every year,” said Montgomery County Fire Chief Richard Bowers. “It’s steady. You have people moving [in] that don’t know the regulations.”
Penalties include having the fireworks confiscated, fines and jail time. First-time offenders usually receive fines, said Rudolph Thomas, assistant fire chief in Alexandria.
Officials try to curb illegal use by focusing on fireworks stands. Authorities will continue to inspect Fairfax County’s 45 stands through the weekend to make sure their items are legal, said Dereck Baker, a deputy fire chief there.
But there’s no way to prevent people from buying legal fireworks and bringing them to an area where all devices are banned.
“We don’t know where people are going to take the fireworks and we can’t control that,” said Drew Sakin, owner of Leesburg-based Fireworks Now.
Fire officials said they do some patrolling during the July Fourth weekend, but largely respond to areas where they receive complaints.
“If we get a call, we will respond” Baker said.
Experts say it’s easy to get hurt when scrambling to use up illicit fireworks.
“People are very careless and try to do their activities quickly so they can get away with it,” said Julie Heckman, executive director of the American Pyrotechnics Association.
But that doesn’t mean consumers aren’t longing for the more-powerful fireworks permitted in places such as the Midwest.
“All the time, people come to our locations and are upset they can’t buy firecrackers or aerial fireworks,” Sakin said. “That’s an annual lament from the public.”
