With a loud bang, an exploding firework sent chunks and fingers of a makeshift plastic hand flying in multiple directions at once on Tuesday afternoon at the Montgomery County Public Safety Training Academy in Gaithersburg.
The explosion was triggered remotely by a member of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) during a demonstration on the dangers of using fireworks sponsored by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and involving representatives of several area fire departments.
Fire officials used the demonstration to send a message to Montgomery County residents and those in surrounding jurisdictions: Setting off fireworks without training is extremely dangerous and in most cases illegal.
“They’re dangerous, cause fires and serious injuries, and put lives at risk,” Montgomery County Fire Chief Corey Smedley told the local media members in attendance.
Smedley’s other takeaway: a reminder that all fireworks – even sparklers — are illegal in the county.
During the event, the council displayed data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission showing there were 11 fireworks-related deaths in the United States in 2024 and 14,700 injuries — 1,700 of which came from the use of sparklers.
While fireworks in suburban Montgomery and Prince George’s counties are illegal, some fireworks are legal in Washington, D.C. Last year, an apartment fire in the District was caused by the setting off of an illegal roman candle firework that destroyed 76 homes and left two people seriously injured, according to Fire Marshal Edward Kauffman.
Members of the departments at the presentation – including from Prince George’s County, Arlington County and the District — encouraged residents to attend displays produced by professionals. In Montgomery County, there will be at least four, with two of the biggest being Germantown Glory at South Germantown Recreational Park on Friday night and Mid-County Sparkles at Albert Einstein High School in Kensington on Saturday.
To demonstrate the dangers of amateur firework usage, MCFRS set off the rocket in a plastic hand and another in a watermelon. The watermelon exploded into pieces, with chunks of rind and pulp scattering across the parking lot being used for the display.
The demonstration included firing a firework into a watermelon to display its power. Photo credit: Max Schaeffer 
The demonstration included firing a firework into a watermelon to display its power. Photo credit: Max Schaeffer 
The demonstration included firing a firework into a watermelon to display its power. Photo credit: Max Schaeffer
In another demonstration, a county firefighter lit a sparkler in the hand of a dummy wearing a typical moisture-wicking T-shirt to show how easily the shirt can catch fire and burn the skin of the person wearing it. One of two sparklers that were lit burned a hole through the shirt and Smedley warned that sparklers can get hot enough to burn metal.
Smedley acknowledged that despite the department’s annual warnings, some county residents still set off fireworks and MCFRS crews are called to respond to injuries. He said the department hopes to see the volume of fireworks-related calls decrease for this year’s holiday.
