Tampa residents urged to be careful while setting off fireworks over New Year's: 'Be as safe as possible'
TAMPA, Fla. - Tampa fire officials are urging residents to set off fireworks responsibly over the New Year's holiday.
"Let's try to do it as safe as possible, right?" City of Tampa fire investigator Francisco Rosete said. "If you got to do the fireworks at home, and you got to have your own firework display, then obviously try to be as safe as possible."
Rosete has been investigating fires since 2011.
"The fireworks go up in the air, and those sparks start falling. When it's dry, what do people have in their gutters? Usually leaves. So sparks can cause the dry leaves to catch fire. Now you have a roof fire," Rosete said. "I've been to cars that are parked and somebody leaves a window down and a firework goes sideways that goes inside somebody's vehicle. The upholstery catches fire, and now you have a fire inside a vehicle."
READ: Child attempting to light firework inside home caused Ocala apartment fire: Police
In July, Ocala police said a fire that began in an apartment started after a child tried to light a firework inside.
Safety tips from Tampa fire officials include:
- Keep a bucket of water or fire extinguisher nearby
- Follow the directions when setting fireworks off
- Stand 10-20 feet away from any structure before lighting them
- Don’t shoot fireworks across the road or at people
- Always supervise children
There were 11 fireworks-related deaths reported last year, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Five of those were associated with fireworks not being used properly, with some of the youngest victims just 11 years old.
MORE: What's open and closed on New Year's Day 2024
CPSC numbers show sparklers were the reason behind 600 injuries treated in nationwide emergency rooms around the Fourth of July last year.
"They sword fight with it. They poke each other with it. They don't realize that that's burning and that can catch somebody's clothes on fire," Rosete said.