WESTLAND, Mich. – You’ve heard of Christmas in July, but for Tim Sumpter, this is the most wonderful time of the year.
“Even on the fourth all the way up till midnight, people are coming in and grabbing stuff off the shelves, whatever we have left,” Sumpter, who owns Big Sky Fireworks, said on Wednesday (July 2). “They’re just grabbing them just because they ran out, and they want to continue the party.”
Business was booming at Big Sky in Westland on Wednesday, and not just because of the increase in customers, but also because of the safety exercise taking place outside the big tent.
Safety is also something that Sumpter, who started his business during the height of the pandemic in 2020, preaches.
“I’ve seen people that have put (fireworks) upside down and light them and the whole thing explodes on the ground,” Sumpter said. “So, we get a lot of first-time customers that come into our location here and they tell us that they’re first-time customers, and we take the time to explain to them how this works, how to do it, and how to safely do it so that everything goes smoothly.”
Members of the Westland fire and police departments were there for a demonstration of what can happen if you don’t take fireworks seriously.
Something as seemingly safe as a sparkler can be trouble if not handled carefully.
“A sparkler that we see kids running around with those are burning at about 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, so they can cause significant burn injuries,” Kelly Eggers, Westland’s assistant fire marshal, said.
Eggers said that everything from sparklers to bottle rockets and Roman candles can cause heavy damage to people and property. Even the duds are dangerous.
“You never want to try to re-ignite a dud,” Eggers said. “We’re going to wait several minutes to make sure that nothing’s going to happen. As we approach it, and ideally, what you want to do is soak it in water for several minutes before you dispose of it normally.”
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were nearly 15,000 injuries from fireworks last year, up 52% from 2023. Of those, 1,700 resulted in emergency room visits.
There were also 11 reported fireworks-related deaths. Eggers states that the majority of injuries involve the hands, eyes, and face.
Sumpter says that they will continue to make sure that people use their products safely.
When asked what advice he has for customers, he said, “The best advice I can give is know what you’re using and know how to use it.”