Brockton officials warn residents of dangers of illegal fireworks ahead of July 4th

BROCKTON — In Massachusetts, it is illegal for private citizens to use, possess or sell fireworks without a license or permit, but that hasn’t stopped many people, including some Brockton residents, from setting them off every year for the Fourth of July holiday.

“We have had a number of issues, usually in the beginning of July every year, with certain neighborhoods that do have fireworks and we work diligently to try to get those shut down,” Brockton Fire Chief Brian Nardelli said.

Massachusetts State Fire Marshal Jon Davin emphasizes the importance of firework safety as the Fourth of July weekend fast approaches.

“Fireworks are inherently dangerous,” Davine said. “We want everyone to have a safe, happy Fourth of July. Please don’t risk a fire, injury or a day in court. There are dozens of permitted municipal shows across Massachusetts this season, so leave fireworks to the professionals.”

While the city of Brockton doesn’t have its own fireworks show anymore, there are many nearby Fourth of July parades, carnivals and firework shows that Brockton area residents can attend.

Here’s what Brockton residents should know about illegal fireworks and why they are so dangerous.

Firework laws in Brockton

“Residents should know that fireworks are absolutely 110% illegal in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. If you want to set fireworks off, you need to be permitted and licensed,” Nardelli said.

Over the last five year, officials in Brockton have developed the Fireworks Task Force to crack down on the state’s fireworks laws in the city.

The task force, which is starting up this year, is comprised of individuals from the Brockton Fire Department, Brockton Police Department and the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal's Office.

“We’ll have those guys go out, investigate where the fireworks are, shut down the problems and the Fire Marshalls office will confiscate those fireworks,” Nardelli said. “A lot of times, at the beginning stages, it’s trying to find out where people have fireworks so when they start lighting them, we have a better idea of zeroing in, shutting them down and confiscating them.”

According to Davine, these fire laws work.

“The rate of fireworks injuries in Massachusetts in about one-fifth the national average,” he said.

Penalty for selling and possessing illegal fireworks

In Massachusetts, if someone is caught in possession of or uses illegal fireworks, they can expect a fine of $10 to $100 and an automatic confiscation of the fireworks, according to mass.gov.

Anyone selling illegal fireworks in the state can expect a fine of $100 to $1,000, an automatic confiscation of the fireworks and a maximum of one year imprisonment.

Firework injuries in the Brockton area

“We see a litany of injuries, from hand injuries, eye injuries and arm injuries,” Nardelli said. “But it’s hard to quantify what injuries are from fireworks because a lot of times, they don’t want to tell you it was from fireworks to avoid getting in trouble."

According to the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services, fireworks have caused more than 200 injuries that required emergency treatment since 2019.

Just last May, a Kingston man using illegal fireworks suffered life-altering injuries to his hands, chest and face, according to the Department of Fire Services.

Property damage caused by fireworks

According to the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services, fireworks have caused 532 fires and explosions and more than $1.5 million in property damage since 2019.

In 2022, between July 1 and July 5, Brockton had three house fires related to fireworks, Nardelli said.