MORGAN COUNTY, Utah, July 5, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — A man in Morgan County learned the hard way that the best place to store used fireworks until they cool enough for disposal is NOT the bed of a shiny new truck.
“Things don’t always go as planned,” says a Facebook post from Morgan County Fire & EMS.
“The owner of this new truck had planned to let his spent fireworks cool off overnight in the back of the vehicle and dispose of them in the morning. Unfortunately, the spent fireworks did not have sufficient time to cool.
“The result, several thousand dollars in vehicle damage. Thanks to the quick actions of your Morgan County volunteer firefighters, this fire was contained to the bed of the vehicle.”
Fireworks burn at a high temperature, as hot as 1,800°F to 3,000°F the post explained. The burning temperature depends on the fuel and oxidizer used, more than sufficient to cause severe skin burns or ignite clothing.
“The cardboard that surrounds these fireworks does a great job of absorbing a lot of this heat,” the statement says. “And not taking the time to allow this stored heat to cool can reignite the cardboard.”
The post offered steps to safely disposing of consumer fireworks, listed below:
- Submerge the duds and exploded fireworks into water using buckets or another vessel that allows the fireworks to become completely saturated
- Let fireworks sit in the water for a minimum of 30 minutes. (12-plus hours is ideal)
- Remove the completely saturated fireworks and place them in a garbage bag. Tie it tightly.
- Bag the firework and garbage bag again, tying the second bag tightly. This will help keep the fireworks from drying out and potentially becoming active.
- Place the double-bagged fireworks into the trash or bring to a local landfill.
