Press Release  Leave Fireworks to the Professionals, State Fire Marshal Urges

STOW — Fires, explosions, and serious injuries related to illegal fireworks spike each summer in Massachusetts, and fire service leaders are hoping to reverse last year’s increase over 2024.

“Here in Massachusetts, fireworks have caused nearly 500 fires and explosions, almost 200 serious injuries, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage over the past five years,” said State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine. “Tragically, one man even lost his life last summer. Please don’t risk a fire, an injury, or a day in court – leave fireworks to the professionals.”

Of the 188 fireworks-related visits to Massachusetts emergency departments from 2021 to 2025, 121 took place in July. July also accounted for 253 of the 486 fires and explosions caused by fireworks during the same five-year period. Both injuries and fires increased by about 23% last year, with 43 ER visits and 112 fires and explosions – including one that claimed a 70-year-old man’s life in Wareham.

Massachusetts law requires police to seize any illegal fireworks they encounter in the course of their duties. This includes fireworks that were purchased lawfully in another state and transported to Massachusetts. People who use or possess them illegally are also subject to a fine, while the unlawful sale of fireworks is an arrestable offense that carries potential jail time. The law is effective: the Massachusetts fireworks injury rate is about one-fifth the national average, and the rate of fires and explosions is about one-sixth the national average.

The Department of Fire Services posts a list of permitted fireworks displays and updates it each week through the summer. To view the list – and to learn more about the dangers of illegal fireworks – visit the DFS website.  

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