State Police and the state fire marshal’s office seized more than 1,500 illegal fireworks over the weekend and issued 18 summonses to residents purchasing fireworks in other states and bringing them into Massachusetts, officials said Monday.
The departments are continuing efforts to stop the illegal possession of fireworks in the state and encouraging residents to attend permitted events to see fireworks this upcoming holiday weekend, State Police and the fire marshal’s office said in a statement. A list of permitted events and information about the dangers of fireworks was posted by the Department of Fire Services.
State Police stopped several cars Friday evening and seized 425 fireworks with a value of $8,000, including aerial shells, cakes, large rockets, fountains, sparklers, and Roman candles, the statement said. They also issued seven summonses for illegal possession of fireworks.
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Six summonses were issued and 654 fireworks with a value of more than $10,000 were seized Saturday, including the same types as the day before and 34 packs of firecrackers containing 17,337 individual fireworks, the statement said. On Sunday, five summonses and 501 fireworks with a value of more than $10,000 were seized.
The seized fireworks were documented and set to be destroyed, the statement said.
State officials remind residents that fireworks, sparklers, and firecrackers are unsafe for children, as they can burn at temperatures over 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit, the statement said. In Massachusetts, more than 900 fires were reported from illegal fireworks from 2012 to 2021, leading to 43 fire service injuries, 31 severe burn injuries and $2.1 million in damages, officials said.
Madison Mercado can be reached at madison.mercado@globe.com.