A pair of bills before the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee would let Massachusetts residents take at least some of the light show into their own hands, as some already do with fireworks purchased from out of state. "In 2019, sparklers were the leading cause of firework injuries to children younger than 5, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The Public Safety Committee last session endorsed a version of Moore's bill in June 2020, and it died in the Senate Rules Committee. In a July 2 press release reminding people that fireworks are illegal, the state Department of Fire Services said that a lit sparkler "burns at a temperature hot enough to melt glass." Representing an industry group called the United States Fireworks Safety Commission, Eric Turner said that Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and 49 states -- all but Massachusetts -- allow sale and use of sparklers.

Source: MetroXpress July 22, 2021 15:00 UTC