Allen Miller, journeyman lineman for 4Rivers Electric Cooperative in Lebo, Kansas, got hooked on fireworks at an early age. “I was always that kid growing up doing fireworks for my family,” he said.
His penchant for pyrotechnics led him to becoming a certified fireworks display operator, shooting professional aerial shows across the eastern part of the state for Toronto Lake, Melvern Lake, Osage City, Neodesha, Fredonia and Chanute.
His more than 25 years of experience has taught him that because fireworks are a man-made product, anything can happen. “Always plan for the worst and hope for the best. If you plan for the worst, you should be covered.”
Miller shares his fireworks safety protocols with our readers in time for the Fourth of July.
Purchasing
- Use reputable, licensed vendors. “Unless they are homemade by someone, all fireworks come from China and are manufactured by a handful of plants.”
- Purchase locally or at least within Kansas. “This way, you are always buying something that is legal in your state. Not only that, you are also helping out your tax base.”
Transporting
- Keep fireworks in the package they come in.
- Transport them right-side up. Don’t lay them on their sides or upside down.
- Secure them so they are not sliding around in the back of the truck or trunk.
- Don’t have them any closer to passengers than necessary. “The bed of a truck is ideal if at all possible.”
Storage
- Store in detached buildings if possible. “I realize not everyone has a garage or outbuilding. I wouldn’t personally store them in my house. I never have. I never will. If something were to happen to the house and the firefighters come, now you have an extra hazard.”
- Storing in an attached garage is slightly better for storage, but it’s preferable to store away from a house or any living quarters.
- Make sure storage area is dry, secure and away from other hazards (gas cans, other flammables).
Day of
- Shoot fireworks on solid, hard ground. Pavement is great. Concrete is great. Gravel not so much. “Gravel can tend to get loose and allow the firework to tip over — same with grass.”
- If shooting in a pasture or grassy area, use a sheet of plywood under the fireworks to create a firm base that won’t “rock or roll with the fireworks going off.”
- Aerial devices need to be shot 150 feet away from the nearest structure and people.
- Ground devices, including fountains, should be at least 35 feet away from people and structures.
- Make sure there are no obstructions above where you are staging the fireworks. “No trees, no power poles, no utility lines, no phone lines — anything.”
- Keep a metal container close by to contain a device that catches fire.
- Have a ready source of water available; if you have a dud, soak it in water after 20 minutes to eliminate the chance of it going off unexpectedly.
- Consider keeping an extinguisher nearby.
- Never hold a lit firework in your hand.
- When lighting a device, stay as far away as possible and never have your head or any body part over the exiting end of the firework or the part being lit. “In my world, they say whatever is above it will be no longer.”
Cleanup
- Give the debris plenty of time to cool down, including duds that could misfire or catch fire. “Let them have their time and their space. If possible, wait until the following morning to clean up the debris to ensure it’s not hot.”
- Transport debris to a trash container in the back of a truck to avoid potential fire or place in non-combustible containers for trash pick-up.
Miller offered one final piece of advice. “I’m a firm believer in this: No alcohol, drug influence — prescribed or not prescribed — until after the show and everybody is safe.”