Chesterfield sees recent drop in fireworks-related house fires on Fourth of July, but risks remain
VENN
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Seven years after a Chesterfield County home went up in flames due to improperly discarded fireworks on the Fourth of July, the county is seeing a recent drop in fireworks-related house fires.
According to a spokesperson with Chesterfield Fire and EMS, 2024 and 2025 had no house fires on July 4 or July 5 caused by improperly discarded fireworks. However, in both 2022 and 2023, Chesterfield confirmed that they had one house fire each year during that same time period due to discarded fireworks.
"We just continue to remind people to not use them and go see a professional show instead," the spokesperson said.
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This news comes seven years after a Midlothian home went up in flames on Independence Day in 2018, after debris from fireworks caught fire in a trash can.
According to officials, Chesterfield Fire and EMS were called to the 1100 block of Duxbury Court, in the St. James West subdivision, just after 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 4, 2018.
When firefighters arrived, they saw heavy flames and smoke. It took them more than 30 minutes to mark the incident under control.
A second home in Chesterfield also caught fire on the evening of July 4, 2018, due to discarded fireworks debris. It occurred in the 15000 block of Horshoe Bend Drive.
About half an hour away in Chester, another family also cleaned up a mess in 2018, where remnants of sparklers caught fire in the garage.
A fire broke out around midnight Monday night after the Fourth of July festivities came to a close at Twisted Cedar Court in Chesterfield. Chesterfield Fire Department determined the cause of the fire to be improperly discarded fireworks. (8News)
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, in 2024 there were 11 deaths and 14,700 injuries nationwide due to fireworks.
Since fireworks can be extremely dangerous when handled improperly, the spokesperson added that consumer fireworks are illegal to possess or use in Chesterfield.
