OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) -- — The sparkles and booms are lots of fun until they start a fire.
The Omaha Fire Department says there were 11 fireworks related fires from June 30 - 7am on July 5th. Battalion Chief Scott Fitzpatrick says it’s higher than last year.
“We kind of looked at the trend. More people are home because of the COVID crisis, there’s not as many professional shows going on so we think more fireworks were bought and lit off because of that,” Fitzpatrick explained.
Sometimes the fireworks ignite a fire when the fuse is lit or can re-light when put in a bag or trash can.
OFD recommends you leave your used fireworks on the curb overnight instead of putting them in a bag right away. Also pour water on them to make sure they have less of a chance of reigniting
Omaha Police say there were 1,800 complaints this year, a 30% jump over last year, and 14 citations written for fireworks violations.
A Fireworks and Ammunition Amnesty Day will be held this Saturday from 9am - 1pm at Seymour Smith Park, and at Fire Station 43 at 103rd and Fort Streets.
