View Full Version : Aerial fireworks in Neighborhoods
FinnAmerican
01-28-2024, 04:17 PM
Just curious: What are your thoughts on larger aerial fireworks used in residential neighborhoods?
Pennsylvania law states: 150 away from a dwelling. While Michigan has: at least 25 feet away from a house.
KDirk
01-28-2024, 05:27 PM
Where I've shot the last couple of years gives me 50-75' max from dwellings. Not ideal, but is within the requirements set forth here for discharge of consumer fireworks. I'm trying to nail down a venue for this year that will give me much better safety margins, as most of my show is rack launched mortar shells and some larger cakes. Even the very best of the shells barely make 200' when they break (most don't get that high), and I worry about smoldering debris coming down. I keep multiple fire extinguishers, buckets of water and sand staged for immediate use if needed. A garden hose is also kept at the ready to extinguish cakes that reignite after discharge. Even with all that, I'd prefer a more wide open space to stage the show for both ease of setup and safety.
So, to answer the question, my thoughts are that 25' is too little clearance, and even double to triple that distance still makes me uneasy. Now that I'm doing electric firing (Cobra) and the pace of ignition is much greater and more prolonged than my past hand lit shows, all the more so. I've not had any issues or even close calls yet, but I remain very much concerned about it. And this is in an area where quite a few people are shooting a lot of product in closer proximity than I'm maintaining.
Salutecake
01-28-2024, 05:44 PM
Well I don't mean to get too technical but first the definition of residential neighbor hood has to be defined. I mean when I grew up, it was a street that all the lots were filled with house and the lots were like 50 by 100ft. Today there are residential communities that require minimum lot sizes of a few acres. That being said.
Consumer fireworks, I would have to say a minimum of 75 ft. I'm not sure sure how far stuff spreads if a tube or cake blows. I think a lot of my concern comes from low breaking shoots, things falling over during, a show, people not knowing or general misuse.
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