In advance of the Fourth of July holiday weekend, fire officials from the metropolitan Washington region conducted a fireworks safety news conference and safety demonstration at the Montgomery County Public Safety Training Academy on June 23.  They also announced the You Light It…We’ll Write It! regional campaign, which will target individuals who use illegal fireworks.  Fire marshals and law enforcement officials will be working together in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia to uphold these laws.

Some jurisdictions allow a variety of fireworks regulated by the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission. Legal devices in many of the surrounding jurisdictions include cones, sparklers, sparkling devices and novelties. Illegal fireworks include Roman candles, skyrockets, aerial shells with mortars, and firecrackers (Check with your locality).   All fireworks are prohibited in some local areas, including Montgomery County (MD), Prince George’s County (MD) and the City of Alexandria (VA).

Fire officials are encouraging people to attend professionally supervised displays, either on the National Mall in Washington or at a number of shows at counties, cities, towns, parks and other venues in the region.

To view a Gaithersburg Patch story on the safety demonstration, click here.  To view an NBC4 story on the event, click here.