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New regulations for fireworks
Many people watching professional fireworks throughout Fairfax County on the Fourth of July should expect to stand further away from the displays than they might have in past years.A year after 11 people were injured by a Schaefer Pyrotechnics Inc. display that fired into a crowd of people, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department officials will be requiring observers to stand twice as far from displays.
Capt. James Istvan, a member of the fire marshal's office, said the county's fire marshals would like to be even stricter about the distance but have to take “fireworks manufacturers into consideration.”
Observers will now need to stand 140 feet away, instead of 70 feet, for every inch of the firework's shell diameter, during “cake box” fireworks displays.
“We have decided that since you really can't control it after you light it, that more distance is a good idea,” Istvan said.
Nothing will change at the annual fireworks display at the Herndon Centennial Golf Course that is hosted by the town's Parks and Recreation Department. Because of the way the golf course is situated, people normally stand far enough away that the guidelines won't affect them there, Abby Kimble, marketing specialist for the department, said.
Several clubs throughout the county, like the International Town and Country Club in Fairfax, will again use Schaefer Pyrotechnics. Nato Giordano, clubhouse manager at that club, said they aren't worried about the displays malfunctioning. It was just a flaw in the product and not the company's fault, Giordano said.
At the International Town and Country Club, observers usually stand about a football field away from the displays anyway, Giordano said.
As thousands of people watched a fireworks display by Pennsylvania-based Schaefer at Waters Field in Vienna last year, the show went awry and fireworks exploded in the crowd, seriously injuring several people. There were five other mishaps in Fairfax County during fireworks displays by the same company that day.
The Vienna Town Council voted to replace the town's annual fireworks display with a laser light show this year. The town, Fairfax County and Schaefer Pyrotechnics are facing multi-million dollar lawsuits from two of the victims of last year's accident.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a request from the fire department to double the distance people are required to stand from “cake box” displays last year, matching guidelines from the National Fire Protection Association. Professional firework vendors throughout the area have not opposed the new distance regulations, Istvan said.
Regulations on how high fireworks can go have also changed. Anything that explodes, emits a flame, sparks or becomes higher than 16 feet is illegal to possess or ignite in Fairfax County. The permitted height was increased from 12 feet to keep the county up to date with Consumer Production Safety Commission guidelines, Istvan said.
“This will allow additional types of brands and will be good for the industry while still maintaining safety,” Istvan said.
Although it's illegal to purchase many types of fireworks for home display in Northern Virginia because of the regulations, people often purchase them outside the area to use in the county.
“We are sure it happens, but it may be because some people are uninformed or don't know that it is unsafe,” Istvan said.
Violators could be fined $2,500 and/or spend up to one year in jail.
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