Safety amid sparks: LFR and LTU urge proper firework disposal in Lincoln

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Summer for many means barbecues, parades and fireworks.

With the Fourth of July just about a week away, leaders from LFR and LTU are urging people to slow down with the explosives this holiday.

“It is very dry this year, and in typical Nebraska fashion, it’s also very windy,” Lincoln Fire & Rescue Inspector Jason Relford said. “With that, we have all sorts of different types of fireworks, most of them being projectiles. And once they leave the canister that they’re coming from, we don’t really have any control of where they’re landing.”

Relford said a good rule of thumb is staying 15 to 25 feet away from homes and sheds, plus overhead obstructions like trees.

SEE ALSO: Drought conditions spark fears about Fourth of July fireworks in Lincoln

A safe holiday means taking care of the hot debris after the fact, too.

Have a bucket on hand full of water to douse the fireworks after letting them cool.

“A lot of the issues that we had with fires on the Fourth revolved around improper disposal,” Relford said. “So making sure that when you are done with your fireworks that you give them a good soak in a metal container, rather than just firing them off, and then throwing them directly into the trash.”

And when it’s safe, experts say all the remnants go in the trash.

None of it can be recycled since it’s contaminated.

But often enough, fireworks will be found contaminating our nearby bodies of water.

“Fireworks and its debris contain heavy metals and other harmful chemicals that are not good for wildlife,” said Erin Kubicek, environmental health educator with the Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Department. “If you leave those fireworks in the street and it rains, they’ll actually get washed down into the storm drains, which lead to the nearest lake or stream in Lincoln.”

LTU found evidence of this years ago.

Fireworks left a noticeable increase in a harmful substance known as chlorate in Oak Lake, just after a show there.

“We tested before the fireworks show and then after we got a good rain,” Kubicek said. “It was actually very interesting because you could actually see the concentrations kind of changing from one side of the lake to the other. So, if it does it at Oak Lake, then obviously it’s going to do it everywhere else in the city.”

City officials in these cases say leaving fireworks in the street attracts people to litter even more.

On July 5, there will be two events at Oak Lake Park to prevent littering:

• Lincoln Fire & Rescue Fireworks Amnesty Day
  • 9 to 11:30 a.m.
  • Collecting old and unused fireworks
• Oak Lake Park Cleanup
  • 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Lunch provided for volunteers

If you plan on joining in on the fun, they say to remember: If you blow it up, clean it up.