“Fire in the hole!" yelled a bomb squad technician as he used surplus Sears mannequins to demonstrate the risks of illegal fireworks Wednesday, June 26, at the Orange County Fire Authority in Irvine.
The result of the demonstrations presented to the media: One unfortunate mannequin lost a hand from an M-80 explosion; another lost its head after an illegal firework exploded.
In 2018, Orange County saw 38 fireworks-induced trips to the emergency room -- up from 29 the year before, said OCFA Fire Chief Brian Fennessy. There were 12,000 such ER trips nationwide.
“Generally speaking, there are two types of fireworks, 'Safe and Sane' and dangerous," said Orange County Undersheriff Bob Peterson. Only 10 cities in the county allow the use of Safe and Sane fireworks.
Fennessy pointed out that even Safe and Sane sparklers, which burn at 1,200 degrees, can be dangerous.
(Video by Jeff Gritchen/Orange County Register)
