State Fire Marshals, ATF experts give WMW exclusive -- and explosive -- look at illegal fireworks dangers

NORTH BEND -- Fireworks can do more than light up a sky and signal celebration. Some are dangerous and even deadly. ATF special agent Brennan Phillips shows a crowd of first responders and prosecutors some of the legal and illegal explosives on the market. Fireworks like the overloaded roman candles and the M-250s, all altered into improvised explosive devices and sold on some reservations and black markets across the region. Phillips says, “We had a case out of Spokane, a guy’s buying these materials aluminum powder, potassium chloride, mixing these things and making the explosive devices.” An ATF agent recently stopped a man who had about 25 buckets of ping pong ball bombs in his car and ready to sell. “A typical police offensive hand grenade has about 15 grams of flash powder, that’s got about 40 grams of flash powder,” Phillips explains.

Every year, accidents with fireworks send people to trauma centers. Last year, 432 fireworks related injuries were reported along with two fatalities in Washington State. Special agent Phillips says most illegal fireworks will lack a very important marking, “These are just Chinese made, packaged M-80s. There’s no marking on them, none of the Consumer Product Safety Commission markings. Phillips continues, “We always want those moms and dads out there, especially moms I think sometimes who are concerned about the safety of the family say, ‘wait a second, that doesn’t look right’ and turn it over to the fire department, turn it over to the police department.” And for those who insist on breaking the law and creating explosives, Phillips has a warning saying, “You’re taking a lot of risk, there’s plenty of money to be made in legitimate fireworks, but by dabbling in the legal stuff, especially in today’s day and age, you’re dealing in illegal explosives and we’re going to be conduction enforcement operations.”