# Fireworks Mayhem 2026 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 29, 2026, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireworks-mayhem-2026/1031283 "2026-06-29T20:55:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ancient\_Nerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@Ancient\_Nerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ancient_Nerd)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2026, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireworks-mayhem-2026/1031283/41 "2026-07-04T08:12:43Z")
Deleted ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2026, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireworks-mayhem-2026/1031283/42 "2026-07-04T14:21:13Z")
> **[Westfield firefighters extinguish fireworks blaze](https://youarecurrent.com/2026/07/04/westfield-firefighters-extinguish-fireworks-blaze/)** > > Westfield Fire Department responded July 3 to a large fire in a van caused by malfunctioning fireworks. There were no injuries. > > According to a social media post, the malfunctioning fireworks discharged in the back of the van, which contained... > **[A Ring Camera Caught Illegal Fireworks Exploding Right Under a Parked Car](https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/ring-camera-caught-illegal-fireworks-122342915.html)** > > This is one car that went out with a bang. A home security camera in Bakersfield caught the downside of illegal fireworks in one quick clip. The video shows > **[Discarded fireworks may have sparked flames in Warwick](https://turnto10.com/news/local/garage-fire-fireworks-firefighters-carolyn-street-warwick-rhode-island-july-3-2026)** > > Firefighters were called to the Carolyn Street address at about 1 a.m. > **[Man critically injured in fire involving illegal fireworks at Wilmington motel](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/video/news/local/man-injured-illegal-fireworks-fire-wilmington/3912806/?amp=1)** > > The motel's 22 rooms were evacuated, resulting in 12 people — including 10 adults and two children — displaced, officials said. > **[Man Suffers Hand Injury in Sun Valley, Possibly from Indoor Fireworks -...](https://mynewsla.com/crime/2026/07/03/man-suffers-hand-injury-in-sun-valley-possibly-from-indoor-fireworks/)** > > A man suffered a hand injury Friday in an apartment fire in Sun Valley that may have involved illegal fireworks, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Firefighters responded to 11669 W. Valerio St., near Lankershim Boulevard, at about 6 p.m.... > **[Fireworks blamed for serious Pacific County injury - Your Oregon News](https://youroregonnews.com/2026/07/03/fireworks-blamed-for-serious-pacific-county-injury/)** > > SOUTH BEND — Fireworks are being implicated in the loss of a person’s hand in South Bend at about 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 3. The accident marks a difficult start \[…\] And I suppose most fireworks injuries/accidents go unreported. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2026, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireworks-mayhem-2026/1031283/43 "2026-07-04T18:27:09Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > And I suppose most fireworks injuries/accidents go unreported. Pretty much by definition very minor injuries far outnumber direct deaths. Doesn’t matter if we’re talking slip and fall, bicycle crash, gunshot, or fireworks. So vastly many people get a minor burn on a finger from picking up a still-hot sparkler wire. And those go unreported; all of them. Rather fewer (like just a handful nationwide) blow their hands off with homemade “fireworks” AKA pipe bombs. Pretty much all of those get reported. And so on in between. Speaking of reporting … Here in sunny SoFL I heard / saw my first booms last night July 3 at about 9:30. I live in a highrise next to a golf course. Somebody had snuck out onto the golf course to launch about 20-30 seconds of skyrockets. All of which burst right at my balcony height as I was sitting indoors looking out. Kinda surprising. _Incoming!_ I heard a couple booms from farther off around 10pm, but that was it. The weather was warm but dry; pretty ideal for outdoor partying and fireworks launching. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2026, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireworks-mayhem-2026/1031283/44 "2026-07-04T18:42:51Z")
I’m happy to report that Canada Day here this year was about as relatively mild, explosive-wise, as VIctoria Day had been. Mostly a bunch of booms on the evening itself, and a few random ones the next day, and that seems to have been about it. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2026, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireworks-mayhem-2026/1031283/45 "2026-07-04T21:32:39Z")
I just keep telling myself it will mostly all be over after Sunday. Keep repeating that. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireworks-mayhem-2026/1031283/46 "2026-07-05T00:59:42Z")
I’m surprised by how few I’ve heard inside the DC Beltway. It’s cooled down from the 100 degrees we had today and yesterday. They’re illegal, but they happen anyway. As I type, I just heard a few in the distance. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireworks-mayhem-2026/1031283/47 "2026-07-05T01:39:08Z")
Here in Colorado Springs, the ongoing (3+ days) smoke haze in the air from southern Colorado burning to the ground seems to have kept things quiet. Individual pops after sundown, which given our tinder status is a blessing. I mean - the sky is RED with the haze. The fire hazard is so high that non-gas grilling was banned this year. 🤞 ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireworks-mayhem-2026/1031283/48 "2026-07-05T02:15:53Z")
The booms are starting in Sacramento, CA, almost an hour and a half before sunset (grump). The cats’ choices of refuge include the walk-in closet. I don’t usually want them in there because I worry about someone getting locked in (they’re both orange, and I’m not sure the brain cell’s location is consistently known to either), but they may well want to be able to burrow under spare blankets and such. Unusual occasion, so special allowance being made, and I do have a small piece of luggage acting as doorstop to hopefully prevent lock-ins. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireworks-mayhem-2026/1031283/49 "2026-07-05T02:20:13Z")
I’m hearing some booms now. Fortunately our dog is sleeping on the couch and doesn’t seem to care. I’m sure he’ll startle when he’s out peeing, though. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireworks-mayhem-2026/1031283/50 "2026-07-05T03:38:49Z")
> **[Fire breaks out on Brooklyn Bridge during New York's fireworks show](https://apnews.com/article/fireworks-brooklyn-bridge-b33731a50f23433644bd8a879dcffc75)** > > A fire broke out on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York during the city’s July Fourth fireworks show. Crowdgoers on Saturday could see flames spreading on the bridge and setting off a plume of smoke before firefighters extinguished the blaze. But note: > A department spokesperson said such fires are not unexpected and are why officials keep crowds at a distance during fireworks. > **[Brooklyn Bridge Catches Fire During Fourth Of July Fireworks Display](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49ME7DxC1CA%2F)** > > Flames erupted on the Brooklyn Bridge as fireworks were being shot from it during Macy’s July 4 display over the East River.Video shows a plume of smoke emer... ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireworks-mayhem-2026/1031283/51 "2026-07-05T03:58:20Z")
Not even full dark yet, and the “air quality” outside my apartment leaves much to be desired (ventured out to make sure none of the unnecessarily loud crap was being set off in my parking lot). Something out there just scared two cats into flat-out sprints for the safety of the bedroom, which is on the other side of the apartment from the worst of it. Gonna be a rough night. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireworks-mayhem-2026/1031283/52 "2026-07-05T15:42:54Z")
Come on baby light my fire. > **[Fireworks start brush fire at Oregon coast, 8 people charged](https://www.kptv.com/2026/07/05/fireworks-start-brush-fire-oregon-coast-8-people-charged/)** > > Lincoln City Police and North Lincoln Fire & Rescue crews responded to a brush fire caused by fireworks late on Saturday night. > **[House catches on fire in NW Harris County due to improperly disposed...](https://abc13.com/post/house-catches-fire-northwest-harris-county-due-improperly-disposed-fireworks-cy-fair-department-says/19452692/)** > > The Cy-Fair Fire Department said that no one was injured in the house fire before advising the public to soak all used fireworks before disposing of the debris. > **[Improper disposal of fireworks blamed for west Omaha house fire](https://wahoo-ashland-waverly.com/news/state-regional/nebraska/article_2bb0c805-556a-542d-b650-ebe92d5c8e9a.html)** > > A fire caused by improper disposal of used fireworks left a family of four seeking to make repairs to their west Omaha home. > **[Improperly disposed fireworks cause 3 Racine fires, $141,000 in damage](https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2026/07/05/improperly-disposed-fireworks-cause-3-racine-fires-141000-in-damage/90812234007/)** > > The Racine Fire Department says improper disposal of fireworks sparked three fires within two hours, causing an estimated $141,000 in combined damage. > **[Fireworks start overnight porch fire at Dubuque home](https://www.kcrg.com/2026/07/05/fireworks-start-overnight-porch-fire-dubuque-home/)** > > The Dubuque Fire Department is reminding residents that fireworks can remain hot long after use and should be doused with water before being thrown away. > **[4 injured, including child, in fireworks explosion during 4th of July...](https://abc7.com/post/4-injured-including-child-fireworks-explosion-during-4th-july-gathering-chino/19452109/)** > > Four people were injured, including a child, in a fireworks explosion in Chino on the Fourth of July, authorities said. > **[Cleveland Fire, EMS respond to firework accidents, several house fires](https://www.cleveland19.com/2026/07/05/cleveland-fire-ems-respond-firework-accidents-several-house-fires/)** > > Cleveland EMS and Cleveland Division of Fire responded to multiple house fires and firework display accidents Saturday evening. > **[Fire breaks out at Dunn apartment building during fireworks](https://www.wral.com/news/local/dunn-apartment-building-fire-fireworks-july-2026/)** > > WRAL News is working to learn if fireworks started a large fire at a Dunn apartment building Saturday night. > **[No Injuries Reported After Discarded Fireworks Causes Fourth of July House...](https://smnewsnet.com/archives/562041/no-injuries-reported-after-discarded-fireworks-causes-fourth-of-july-house-fire-in-lexington-park/)** > > On Saturday, July 4, 2026, at approximately 8:40 p.m., firefighters from Bay District, NAS Patuxent River, Hollywood, Leonardtown, Second District, and Ridge were dispatched to 48798 Wentworth Court in Lexington Park, for the reported structure on... > **[Fireworks spark apartment fire in Mesa, officials say](https://www.azfamily.com/2026/07/05/fireworks-spark-apartment-fire-mesa-officials-say/)** > > Two people were displaced due to the fire. Try to set the night on fire. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireworks-mayhem-2026/1031283/53 "2026-07-05T17:22:09Z")
> **[Firework Explodes, Kills Central Islip Man At July 4 Party: Police](https://patch.com/new-york/brentwood-central-islip/firework-explodes-kills-central-islip-man-july-4-party-police)** > > The man was lighting a firework at a July 4 party when it exploded and struck him in the head, police said. > **[MPD: Milwaukee officer hit by fireworks on Brady Street](https://www.wisn.com/article/mpd-milwaukee-officer-hit-by-fireworks-on-brady-street/71825588)** > > A Milwaukee police officer tells 12 News an officer was injured Saturday night after they were hit by fireworks on Brady Street. > **[FOURTH OF JULY: Fireworks blamed for multiple fires; traffic detours for...](https://westseattleblog.com/2026/07/fourth-of-july-fireworks-blamed-for-multiple-fires-already/)** > > 9:15 PM: That corner of 34th/Barton is just one of several where Seattle Fire crews have had to put out fires blamed on people throwing fireworks out of car windows or moon roofs and driving away. The photos are from Arlene, who was passing through... > **[Police disperse unruly crowd setting off fireworks in Bridgeview, Illinois](https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/police-disperse-unruly-crowd-setting-off-fireworks-bridgeview-illinois/)** > > Police in the southwest Chicago suburb of Bridgeview warned people to be careful this July 4th weekend after multiple people were injured while lighting fireworks. > **[Firefighters respond to back-to-back firework-related fires overnight](https://www.wsaw.com/2026/07/05/firefighters-respond-back-to-back-firework-related-fires-overnight/)** > > Crews handled a tree fire and a boat fire within hours of each other. > **[Fireworks Spark $1.2M House Fire, Damage 3 Homes On Fourth Of July In Ashburn](https://dailyvoice.com/article/fireworks-spark-12m-house-fire-damage-3-homes-on-fourth-of-july-in-virginia/)** > > A Virginia family's Fourth of July celebration ended in devastation after improperly discarded legal fireworks sparked a massive house fire that caused nearly $1.2 million in damage, destroyed much of one home, and spread to two neighborin… > **[Four fires break out in Brigham City on Fourth of July; officials suspect...](https://kutv.com/news/wildfire/four-fires-ignite-in-brigham-city-on-fourth-of-july-officials-believe-fireworks-to-blame)** > > Two structure fires and two grass fires ignited after dark on the Fourth of July, all of which were believed to have been caused by fireworks.Fire Chief Brandon > **[New Mexico fire crews kept busy with July 4 fireworks calls and fires](https://www.koat.com/article/new-mexico-fire-crews-kept-busy-with-july-4-fireworks-calls-and-fires/71826054)** > > AFR received over 300 fireworks calls on Saturday night, along with two major wildland fires. Crews in Sunland Park battled seven brush fires on Saturday. > **[Firefighters respond to string of fires across Chattahoochee Valley during...](https://cnaw2news.com/2026/07/05/fire-crews-across-chattahoochee-valley-respond-to-several-calls-during-busy-fourth-of-july-evening/)** > > Firefighters across the Chattahoochee Valley stayed busy throughout the Fourth of July, responding to numerous fire-related emergencies involving homes, vehicles, brush and other incidents as firew… ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireworks-mayhem-2026/1031283/54 "2026-07-05T17:59:42Z")
We had a major storm come thru last night - lightning ignited one house and another house had a tree crush it. But it all calmed a bit before 10. Then someone in my otherwise quiet neighborhood decided it was boom time - setting off many very loud explosive devices till after 11. Luckily, it quieted once he/she was done, but I wondered about the family across the street with the newborn. I hope everyone has gotten it out of their collective systems. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireworks-mayhem-2026/1031283/55 "2026-07-05T18:17:01Z")
Like the day after Thanksgiving, there are always plenty of leftovers on July 5th. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireworks-mayhem-2026/1031283/56 "2026-07-05T18:21:39Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > [West Seattle Blog… | FOURTH OF JULY: Fireworks blamed for multiple fires; traffic detours for fireworks-watchers; early-morning Morgan Junction crash](https://westseattleblog.com/2026/07/fourth-of-july-fireworks-blamed-for-multiple-fires-already/) About half a dozen fires started by fireworks around here- in a high fire risk area. [https://ktla.com/news/local-news/firefighters-battle-fourth-of-july-blazes-around-los-angeles/](https://ktla.com/news/local-news/firefighters-battle-fourth-of-july-blazes-around-los-angeles/) > Firefighters battled multiple Fourth of July fires around the Los Angeles area Saturday night. When will they ever learn? ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireworks-mayhem-2026/1031283/57 "2026-07-05T18:30:25Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > When will they ever learn? I assume that’s a purely rhetorical question. The only real solution is fireworks laws that are meaningfully enforced. Otherwise, there’s a new idiot born every minute who will grow up to perpetuate the mayhem if he doesn’t kill himself or blow his fingers off first . ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireworks-mayhem-2026/1031283/58 "2026-07-05T18:30:35Z")
I knew my normally mild mannered wife had had enough of the neighborhood fireworks when I heard her mutter last night, “I hope somebody loses a hand over there (the next street over).” Only ‘Safe and Sane’ fireworks are legal here, nothing that flies or explodes, but on the next block, they’ve had large airburst fireworks for years on the 4th and NYE. As luck would have it, about 10 minutes after she made her comment, she saw a Sheriff’s patrol car headed that way, and things got quieter in the neighborhood. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireworks-mayhem-2026/1031283/59 "2026-07-05T19:05:08Z")
Plus this: [![](https://scontent-sea5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/738330533_1453124133525904_1662138209814663120_n.jpg?stp=cp6_dst-jpg_tt6&cstp=mx575x637&ctp=s575x637&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=833d8c&_nc_ohc=TpGLKJ16GbEQ7kNvwFGwrtP&_nc_oc=AdoWeHYMQpnH0VkLxVHAuvZWgOaiFmKAsZxqY1SfeoZCXvTU2NdzTM6tthU5wCN4JcI&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-sea5-1.xx&_nc_gid=__aG7piwo60P3XqaoBqpvg&_nc_ss=7b2a8&oh=00_AQBrwZ_mr_qfEyMTFM731u9tKqJKDPefvEBL21Lbviuaig&oe=6A50995A) ](https://scontent-sea5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/738330533_1453124133525904_1662138209814663120_n.jpg?stp=cp6_dst-jpg_tt6&cstp=mx575x637&ctp=s575x637&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=833d8c&_nc_ohc=TpGLKJ16GbEQ7kNvwFGwrtP&_nc_oc=AdoWeHYMQpnH0VkLxVHAuvZWgOaiFmKAsZxqY1SfeoZCXvTU2NdzTM6tthU5wCN4JcI&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-sea5-1.xx&_nc_gid=__aG7piwo60P3XqaoBqpvg&_nc_ss=7b2a8&oh=00_AQBrwZ_mr_qfEyMTFM731u9tKqJKDPefvEBL21Lbviuaig&oe=6A50995A) ## **[Birch Bay Fan Club](https://www.facebook.com/BirchBayFanClub? __cft__ %5B0%5D=AZbP-2MUJEzpGjEZWSkBrKpPProaCZAEYGW6bsiUNvfNLyD7th4aA_F8e1TZXyqbjPqhO0lsGv61ZIb3SfyKPJfDHRz47TwN-3fUwm-tGSbzZy0yuK3mxTHW1qrZW9oRddXpQi0lSGPmis_OHp_OIK5t7o3YsvpnROAIl0yEESCoA1rfYawY_wwlB7pzJy4i3oE& __tn__ =-UC*F)** **[pdsotoenrStl1ifm91ml0m8m24uh5h4mia85ic90fa81ag950t6g199gguau](https://www.facebook.com/photo? __cft__ %5B0%5D=AZbP-2MUJEzpGjEZWSkBrKpPProaCZAEYGW6bsiUNvfNLyD7th4aA_F8e1TZXyqbjPqhO0lsGv61ZIb3SfyKPJfDHRz47TwN-3fUwm-tGSbzZy0yuK3mxTHW1qrZW9oRddXpQi0lSGPmis_OHp_OIK5t7o3YsvpnROAIl0yEESCoA1rfYawY_wwlB7pzJy4i3oE& __tn__ =%2CO*F#?cck)** · Good morning Birch Bay! Or, I should say “morning after”… if you’re local I bet many of you have already been down to the beach helping the cleanup effort. In other local chat groups there’s a lot of division over the impact of July 4 celebrations here that seem to be growing more massive every year. There are those who say we need to do better and limit how much fireworks activity is allowed while others say “it’s fine, we’ve been doing it for years, it always gets cleaned up!”  I’ll wager that most of the cleanup is done not by the visitors and fireworks users but local volunteers. Yes it’s true there are dozens of people out on the beach this morning and county crews are already passing through, picking up organized piles at the roadside. Myself and a couple of other beachcombers spent nearly an hour on a pile like this, picking through seaweed for all the tiny debris and carting the big stuff up to the road… and that was just one of dozens of piles like this photo. Even when it’s all picked up, much of it has already been pulled away by the tide or remains embedded in the beach. If you’ve been out helping today, kudos to you and everyone who’s lent a hand. There’s got to be a better way to keep our place pristine and still enjoy the tradition > **[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1453124130192571&set=a.467307545440906)** ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2026, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireworks-mayhem-2026/1031283/60 "2026-07-05T19:12:30Z")
> **[Longtime organizer of Vincennes 4th of July fireworks dies in accident](https://www.14news.com/2026/07/05/vincennes-4th-july-fireworks-postponed-following-death-longtime-organizer/)** > > The Knox Co. Coroner says Bob Johnson was taken to the hospital for treatment of injuries sustained in a fireworks-related incident in Lawrenceville, Illinois. > **[Illegal fireworks suspected as cause of fire at southwest valley commercial...](https://www.ktnv.com/news/illegal-fireworks-suspected-as-cause-of-fire-at-southwest-valley-commercial-building)** > > Illegal fireworks are the suspected cause of a fire at a southwest Las Vegas commercial building early Sunday morning, according to the Clark County Fire Department. > **[Fireworks cause duplex fire in Moscow Friday night](https://www.kxly.com/news/fireworks-cause-duplex-fire-in-moscow-friday-night/article_01dcd5b4-3c86-40a0-b03a-2751d8ec3f2e.html)** > > MOSCOW, Idaho -- Illegal fireworks caused a fire at a duplex in Moscow on Friday night. > **[Family displaced after July 4 fireworks spark Lake Gaston house fire](https://abc11.com/post/family-displaced-fireworks-related-fire-destroys-home-lake-gaston/19453494/)** > > Fire officials said the family had gone to watch Fourth of July fireworks on the water. > **[Palm Beach County firefighters respond to 29 fires overnight amid 4th of July...](https://cbs12.com/news/local/gallery/palm-beach-county-firefighters-respond-to-29-fires-overnight-amid-4th-of-july-celebrations-palm-beach-county-fire-rescue-pbcfr-4th-of-july-independence-day-fireworks-fire-calls-brush-fires-dumpster-fires-structure-fires-fire-incidents-overnight?photo=2)** > > While fireworks lit up the night sky, 29 fires on the ground kept Palm Beach County Fire Rescue busy Saturday night.Between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m., firefighters were > **[House fire near Doolittle, Mo., caused by fireworks](https://www.ky3.com/2026/07/05/house-fire-north-doolittle-mo-caused-by-fireworks/)** > > A house caught on fire near Doolittle late Saturday night. > **[Fireworks spark massive boat fire on Lake Tapps](https://www.fox13seattle.com/video/fmc-nxsfm6ufdhssxeva.amp)** > > Two boats and a tree went up in flames on Lake Tapps after boaters reportedly set off fireworks. > **[Holiday Fireworks Turn Austin’s Outskirts Into Grass Fire Hotspots](https://hoodline.com/2026/07/holiday-fireworks-turn-austin-s-outskirts-into-grass-fire-hotspots/)** > > Multiple grass fires sparked by fireworks in the Austin area; crews contained the blazes and no injuries were reported. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireworks-mayhem-2026/1031283.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fireworks-mayhem-2026/1031283.md?page=4)