Safety urged around fireworks displays headed into July 4 celebrations

Jul. 1—State Fire Commissioner Thomas Cook this week said the safest way to enjoy fireworks during Independence Day is to enjoy fireworks displays managed by professionals.

As millions of Pennsylvanians prepare to celebrate Independence Day, Cook and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Dunn are urging residents to leave fireworks displays to the professionals due to ongoing drought conditions and elevated wildfire risks.

"While we remind residents every year that fireworks are not toys, this year has the added risk of inadvertently setting off a wildfire due to lack of rain and dry conditions throughout the state," Cook said.

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) statistics show fireworks start more than 18,500 fires per year and cause an average of $43 million in direct property damage.

DCNR reminds Pennsylvanians that 99% of wildfires are caused by people. With especially dry conditions across the Commonwealth in 2023, DCNR is encouraging Pennsylvanians to follow guidance from experts on fireworks and be mindful of local, county and statewide guidance on burning.

"We have seen consistent elevated risks for wildfires this year, forcing our volunteer and wildland firefighters to suppress an unprecedented number of blazes this year," Dunn said.

There have already been 1,400 wildfires reported statewide so far in 2023, compared to 1,036 in all of 2022. This year's wildfires have burned more than 8,500 acres, compared to 2,700 acres in 2022.

Despite the risks associated with private use of fireworks, many continue to choose to use them during the holiday.

Cook recommended the following safety precautions:

—Never allow children to play with fireworks, even sparklers, which can burn at temperatures of at least 1200 degrees.

—Only allow adults to light fireworks one at a time, then quickly back away.

—Never point or throw fireworks at another person.

—Keep a bucket of water or garden hose handy in case of a fire.

—Never pick up or try to relight fireworks that have not fully ignited.

—After the fireworks have burned, fully douse them with water before picking them up or disposing to prevent trash fires.

—Never use fireworks after consuming alcohol, or other medications or substances that can impair judgment or the ability to react quickly to an emergency.

—Whether attending a professional display, or using consumer fireworks, always remain at a safe distance from the ignition location.

—Be sensitive of neighbors and their pets, particularly if military veterans live nearby.

Wilkes-Barre City bans fireworks

The City of Wilkes-Barre's annual "Old Fashioned Fourth of July" celebration will return to Kirby Park to mark Independence Day.

The celebration will run from noon to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4, with opening ceremonies featuring Wilkes-Barre City Mayor George Brown kicking things off.

This year's celebration will feature more than 35 food and craft vendors, and a selection of amusement park rides — the rides, brought to Kirby Park courtesy of Huey's Amusements — will also be open to the public on July 2 and 3.

At the May meeting of Wilkes-Barre City Council, several city residents voiced support for council's decision to change the city's fireworks ordinance to basically ban consumer fireworks.

Council President Mike Belusko, and Council members Bill Barrett, Tony Brooks and John Marconi voted for the change in the ordinance that makes it illegal to set off fireworks within 150 feet of an occupied structure. Fines can be levied up to $500 for violations of the ordinance.

Council and City Administrator Charles McCormick noted that the new language in the ordinance assures that fireworks can not be set off anywhere in the city, because there is no location in the city that would meet that requirement.

In 2022, the state legislature approved a law that allowed municipalities to ban fireworks if the 150-foot distance can not be met.

Injuries reported

The Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that in 2018, there were five nonprofessional fireworks-related deaths and an estimated 9,100 patients were treated for fireworks injuries in hospital emergency rooms nationwide.

Approximately half of the injuries reported were burns; with the head, eyes, face, or ears being the most frequently impacted part of the body — 36% of those injuries involved children under the age of 15.

Under state law, Pennsylvanians who are at least 18 years old may purchase and use Class C, otherwise known as consumer-grade fireworks. Certain restrictions apply, including:

—They cannot be ignited or discharged on public or private property without the express permission of the property owner.

—They cannot be discharged from within a motor vehicle or building.

—They cannot be discharged toward a motor vehicle or building.

—They cannot be discharged within 150 feet of an occupied structure.

—They cannot be discharged while the person is under the influence of alcohol, a controlled substance, or another drug.

State highlights responsible behavior

ahead of Independence Day celebrations

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission joined together this week to urge safe and responsible celebration this coming holiday weekend — and always.

"Independence Day is a time for celebration, but before heading out to these celebrations we urge Pennsylvanians to keep safety in mind," said PennDOT Executive Deputy Secretary Cheryl Moon-Sirianni. "If your celebration includes alcohol, plan ahead by designating a sober driver or arranging for alternate transportation. Never drive impaired."

This year, law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania and across the country will conduct enhanced BUI patrols from July 1-3, 2023, in an effort to remove impaired boaters from our waterways and increase public safety.

Data from the Fish and Boat Commission shows that there were 45 boating-under-the-influence arrests in 2022.

"When you operate a boat while impaired, you're risking your own life, the lives of everyone on board, and all others sharing the water around you," said Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Executive Director Tim Schaeffer. "Waterways conservation officers are trained to recognize signs of impairment and will be conducting enhanced BUI patrols throughout the holiday weekend. Please, don't drink and boat."

Pennsylvania is a boating destination state, and boaters drive to and from their boating location. When an impaired boat operator gets behind the wheel to drive home, a BUI becomes a DUI.

According to PennDOT data, there were 241 crashes on July 4 last year, resulting in two fatalities and 167 injuries. Of those crashes, 36 were alcohol-related, resulting in 22 injuries, and 10 were drug-related.

The Pennsylvania State Police and local law enforcement will conduct driving under the influence (DUI) enforcement over the holiday, including checkpoints and roving patrols. This effort is funded through PennDOT's statewide annual distribution of approximately $6 million from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for impaired driving enforcement.

"The safety of our roads is a top priority of the PSP and its municipal law enforcement partners, and we take a zero-tolerance approach toward anyone who endangers the welfare and lives of others by driving intoxicated," said PSP Director of the Communications Office Lt. Adam Reed. "Drive sober, drive safely, and always wear your seat belts."

DCNR manages 124 state parks and 2.2 million acres of state forest lands that permit recreational activities including boating and ATV riding. Pennsylvania ranks top five in the U.S. for ATV crashes, with many of those incidents involving alcohol.

Possessing, selling or consuming alcoholic beverages is prohibited on DCNR lands except at specially designated facilities operated or leased by the department. DCNR reminds visitors to practice safe behavior, follow recreation guidelines, and to comply with all posted safety signage.

"Whether in transit to and from our beautiful public lands or using a motorized vehicle to recreate, we encourage all visitors to be responsible as we celebrate this nation's independence," said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. "Many of the worst reported accidents occur when people do not follow guidelines in place, which is why we encourage visitors to always practice safe behavior when taking in nature in state parks and forests."

Back Woods Bass Results

Bob Strunk reports results from the Back Woods Bass Harveys Lake Wednesday night Lunker Tournament, the Back Woods Bass Harveys Lake Friday Night Tournament and the Monday Night River Tournament.

Week of July 26

Monday Night River Tournament

1st Place: Bob Strunk, 1.98 lbs.

2nd Place: Joe & Joey Malloy, 1.02 lbs.

3rd Place: Frank Slymock/Ray Jones/Stephen Matello, 1.00 lbs.

—Back Woods Bass Harveys Lake

Wednesday Night Lunker League

1st Place: Steve Hovanec, 4.02 lbs.

2md Place: Shaun Kucharski, 3.82 lbs.

3rd Place: Chuck Peterman, 3.81 lbs.

4th Place: Justin Kubilus, 2.94 lbs.

5th Place: Jim Simko, 2.82 lbs.

6th Place: Chris Kalna, 2.78 lbs.

7th Place: Travis Sciandra, 2.72 lbs.

8th Place: Kenny Kosloski, 2.65 lbs.

9th Place: Joe Kosloski, 2.59 lbs.

10th Place: Harlow Rolands, 2.49 lbs.

—Back Woods Bass Harveys Lake

Friday Night Tournament

1st Place: Aaron & Gary Hayman, 11.16 lbs.

—Also won Lunker Award, 3.26 lbs.

2nd Place: Tom Williams/Terry Burkhardt, 9.03 lbs.

3rd Place: Kenny Kosloski/Ron Dopko, 7.91 lbs.

4th Place: Bob Strunk/Bruce Bonham, 5.41 lbs.

5th Place: Ryan McClain/Nick Dudock, 4.90 lbs.

6th Place: Dennis Knecht/Tony Sansone, 3.74 lbs.

7th Place: Travis Sciandra/Gary Collins, 3.18 lbs.

8th Place: Chuck Peterman/Rob Vales, 3.05 lbs.

9th Place: Dustin Sult/Bobby Avery, 2.78 lbs.

10th Place: Randy Ritsick, 1.76 lbs.

AAA: Record-breaking travel volumes

are expected over July 4th weekend

AAA projects that more than 62,000 Wilkes-Barre area residents will travel a distance of 50 miles or more over the Independence Day Weekend — up 4% over last year and setting a new record for the holiday.

Nearly 83% of travelers — or nearly 52,000 Wilkes-Barre area residents — will be hitting the road for the holiday — up nearly 2% over last year.

Air travel is up nearly 13% over last year, with AAA projecting more than 6,000 Wilkes-Barre area residents (10% of local travelers) will take to the skies.

And, travel by other modes of transportation, which was slowest to recover from the pandemic, is up more than 20% over last year, with more than 4,500 Wilkes-Barre area residents (7.5% of local travelers) training, busing or cruising to their holiday destinations.

Nationally, AAA projects 50.7 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this Independence Day weekend, setting a new record for the holiday.

Domestic travel over the long weekend will increase by 2.1 million people compared to 2022.

This year's projection surpasses the previous July 4th weekend record set in 2019 of 49 million travelers.

"We've never projected travel numbers this high for Independence Day weekend," said Jana Tidwell, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. "What this tells us is that despite inventory being limited and some prices 50% higher, consumers are not cutting back on travel this summer. Many of them heeded our advice and booked early, another sign of strong travel demand."

This July 4th weekend is expected to set a new record for the number of Americans traveling by car for the holiday. AAA expects 43.2 million people will drive to their destinations, an increase of 2.4% over 2022 and 4% higher than 2019.

This summer, gas prices are well below what they were one year ago. The national average for a gallon of regular was $4.80 on July 4th, 2022. Gas prices have remained steady the past couple of months, with the national average hovering around $3.50 to $3.60 a gallon, thanks to the lower cost of oil.

Air travel is also expected to set a new record. AAA projects 4.17 million Americans will fly to their destinations Independence Day weekend, an increase of 11.2% over 2022 and 6.6% over 2019.

The previous July 4th weekend air travel record of 3.91 million travelers was set in 2019. The share of air travelers in the overall holiday forecast this year is an impressive 8.2% — the highest percentage in nearly 20 years.

Other modes of transportation are also on the rise this year. AAA expects 3.36 million people will travel by bus, cruise, or train over the long weekend, an increase of 24% over last year. While more travelers are turning to these modes this year, the number is not expected to surpass 2019's total of 3.54 million.

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Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle