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‘Oh Say, can you see by the dawn’s early light what so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly, yeah, streaming? And the rockets’ red glare the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave’ Those words, written by Frances Scott Key bring a sense of pride to many US citizens, especially around the Fourth of July. The key piece in there for celebrating the Fourth is ‘And the rockets’ red glare the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there’, that portion is the inspiration of the use of fireworks as part of the celebration of our independence, our freedom.

Who doesn’t love fireworks? They are cool, pretty, bright, colorful, loud and celebratory. The problem is, they are bright and loud, something that causes issues for a small portion of the population. Conversations on social media, like everything else, go one of two ways. Complaining about fireworks or loving them. The majority of people love them, for few, they can be a trigger for horrendous, terrifying flashbacks. Recently, we have done a much better job of identifying Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD in our service members, but that is only recently. Pre 2000, maybe even slightly later, the thought processes was for service members to suck it up. Older Veterans never asked for help because help was not all that available, and it was looked at as the person being weak or failing, so, they were simply brought home and had to deal with their demons on their own. This is not to say that fireworks should stop. It is being brought up for understanding. Some people do not like fireworks, and some people are terrified of them because of the memories the noises and flashes bring up. Of course, those with early morning work schedules do not appreciate the late night noises for weeks straight either.

Pets are another part of the fear. Some animals cannot deal with constant bombardment of the noises and vibrations caused by fireworks. Many need to be sedated around this time of year.

Aside from the noises created, the bigger danger is in the name itself. FIREworks. Fire is a very real danger as was witnessed on Saturday at Nina’s Park in Cottage Grove. Nearly an acre of grass was burned due to a group of kids lighting fireworks off in the park. For those that are not aware, Nina’s Park is just north of the High School Football and Track stadium. The fire burned almost to the path, which is less than 40 yards from school storage buildings and less than 50 yards from the track surface.

“When conditions are this dry, even legal fireworks can and do start grass on fire, it does not take much,” warned Cottage Grove Fire Chief Rick Redenius. “I am not sure what the kids had, but we do know they were kids so any fireworks they had were illegal because you must be 18 to possess fireworks in Minnesota, even Minnesota approved fireworks.”

In 2018, fireworks were responsible for over 19,000 fires according to the National Pire Protection Association. An estimated $105 million in damages from those fires were from 500 vehicle fires, 1,900 structural fires and 17,100 outside fires.

Thanks to a speedy response from the Cottage Grove Fire Department, and many homeowners that grabbed their garden hoses, the fire was contained quickly and the only thing that was damaged was grass. Given the drought like conditions, that could have spread much quicker than it did and could have caused significant damage. Remember, city parks are not irrigated like a golf course or other private properties unless there is a specific reason to irrigate them, like a sports field.

Cottage Grove Police have been in contact with the juveniles responsible, but there is no word on any repercussions or restitution as of yet, and that will likely not be made public due to them being juveniles. The bottom line is fireworks involve fire and must be done with adult supervision in a responsible manner to avoid potentially devastating fires.

Late Sunday evening, another Cottage Grove fire was reported in the townhomes near Meadowgrass Lane and 70th St. The homeowner had disposed of their fireworks in their trash can assuming they were out, but there was enough still burning inside that they ignited later starting the fire and damaging the home. Firefighters from Newport and St. Paul Park assisted Cottage Grove Fire with the call that appears to have ended around 1:00 a.m. Reports are that no one was injured because of the fire.

The best thing that you can do with used fireworks is keep them away from your home overnight. Let them burn up in the driveway. Of course, the absolute best thing to do is to soak them down with the garden hose or throw them in a bucket full of water and still leave them away from any structures overnight. Pick them up in the morning.

Aside from the fire aspect, some fireworks also explode and that presents its own dangers. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, over 10,000 people were injured badly enough in fireworks accidents to require emergency medical treatment and 12 people died in 2019. Fireworks accidents average 7.9 deaths per year.

Done properly, fireworks are a great form of entertainment for many, the problem is many people mix fireworks and alcohol. Next time you decide to light up the night sky, make sure you take the proper precautions to do so safely. Don’t get too close, don’t drink, over irrigate the area you are lighting the fireworks on, keep the hose nice and close and be respectful of your neighbors.

Nearly an acre of Nina’s Park was burnt on Saturday Night after juveniles lit fireworks. The lack of recent rain and the fact that the park is not irrigated contributed to obviously dry conditions at the Park. A quick response by Cottage Grove Fire prevented any further damage beyond the grass.Photo Submitted.