A consumer firework ignited a throw pillow in seconds Wednesday as thick black smoke quickly filled the air, illustrating the dangers city officials hope residents will remember before Fourth of July celebrations begin.
The demonstration, held at the Berks County Fire Training Center, brought together Mayor Eddie Morán, Fire Marshal Jeremy Searfoss and members of the Reading Police Department Bomb Squad to remind the public that fireworks are prohibited within the City of Reading and to encourage residents to attend professional displays instead.
“Today we’re specifically doing a demonstration about the dangers that are involved with fireworks,” Morán said. “It’s very important that the community is reminded that fireworks are illegal in the city of Reading. That’s why we’ve tried to promote fireworks shows that the Reading Phillies have and some of the neighboring municipalities, so that way we could enjoy a safe show.”
Morán urged adults to keep children away from fireworks and said many holiday injuries can be prevented by making responsible decisions.
“We try to encourage adults that, please, keep your children away from any fireworks, not only because it’s illegal, but most importantly because of the dangers that it can have,” Morán said. “Every year we see incidents that are very unfortunate and could have been avoided.”
He added that the Reading Fire Department will have additional personnel on duty throughout the holiday to respond if emergencies occur.
While Pennsylvania law allows adults 18 and older to purchase and use many consumer-grade fireworks, Reading’s fireworks ordinance is more restrictive. The city’s ordinance prohibits the ignition or discharge of consumer fireworks on city streets, sidewalks, parks, public buildings and other city-owned property without authorization from the fire chief. It also prohibits all aerial fireworks—including mortar shells, mortar cakes, bottle rockets and Roman candles—within the city, regardless of distance from structures. Violations can result in fines of up to $500, seizure of fireworks by police and additional criminal penalties when applicable.
During the event, Searfoss displayed a variety of consumer-grade fireworks legally sold in Pennsylvania, explaining that their colorful packaging can disguise the power and unpredictability of the explosive materials inside.
“What we’re trying to call people’s attention to is just the size of potentially what people can purchase for their own use,” Searfoss said. “This is explosive material and people need to be extremely careful.”
He noted that consumer fireworks must be used at least 150 feet from buildings and vehicles under Pennsylvania law, but warned that users still have little control over where burning debris may travel.
“So you have no control over trajectory, where it lands,” Searfoss said. “That’s always the biggest issue when people use fireworks improperly, because they have no control over where it’s going to land and how it’s going to impact their neighbors.”
Searfoss also explained that many popular multi-shot fireworks, commonly known as “cakes,” are fused together, meaning they cannot be stopped once lit.
“Once it starts going, you can’t stop it, and you’re not going to be able to do anything with it but stay away from it and let it run its course,” he said.
Throughout the presentation, officials repeatedly encouraged residents to leave fireworks displays to trained professionals.
“The Reading Phillies, the second, third and fourth, you can go there and enjoy yourself, and you don’t have to worry about it,” Searfoss said. “Leave that to the professionals.”
To demonstrate how quickly a fire can start, firefighters ignited a consumer firework near throw pillow. Within seconds, the pillow was engulfed in flames as thick black smoke rapidly filled the area.
Searfoss said the demonstration showed not only how easily common household materials can ignite, but also how dangerous the smoke itself can become.
“You have merely seconds to get out of the way at that point in time,” he said.
He explained that synthetic materials produce dense smoke containing high levels of carbon monoxide that can quickly reduce visibility, irritate the eyes and respiratory system, and disorient someone attempting to escape.
“And again, this is why we talk about separation from anything as far as houses,” Searfoss said. “These can generate—not only will they ignite vegetation, which can very quickly spread to a structure or to a vehicle.”
Lt. Nicholas Epolito of the Reading Police Department Bomb Squad discussed another common cause of fireworks injuries: misfires.
“If you have something that misfires, don’t just go walking up to it,” Epolito said. “We’ve had a lot of people injured over the last several years.”
He explained that many mortar-style fireworks contain both a lift charge and a bursting charge, and either one can fail independently, creating the potential for a delayed explosion after users believe the firework is finished.
“We’ve had people lose their eyesight, lose their hands, cause some pretty severe damage,” he said.
As a precaution, bomb technicians typically wait at least an hour before approaching a misfired firework. Epolito advised residents to soak spent fireworks with water before disposal and to contact their local fire department through the non-emergency 911 line if they encounter damaged or potentially unsafe fireworks.
He also warned residents to stay away from homemade explosive devices, including M-80s, M-100s, cherry bombs and other improvised explosives, which are illegal to manufacture, possess or use.
“Our goal isn’t to ruin anyone’s celebration,” the Reading Police Department said in a public safety message released ahead of the holiday. “It’s to keep our neighborhoods safe and prevent injuries, fires, and property damage.”
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 15 people died in fireworks-related incidents nationwide last year, while an estimated 13,000 people were treated for fireworks-related injuries, including about 1,300 emergency room visits involving burns from sparklers.
The Pennsylvania Office of the State Fire Commissioner encourages residents to keep children away from fireworks, avoid using fireworks after consuming alcohol or drugs, wear eye protection, keep a bucket of water or fire extinguisher nearby, and soak spent fireworks in water before disposing of them. Officials also remind pet owners to keep animals indoors during fireworks displays and encourage everyone to attend professional shows whenever possible.