Suffolk warns against illegal fireworks, boosts holiday patrols
Suffolk officials burned a vehicle in Yaphank to show how illegal fireworks can ignite fast, then sent extra patrols out for drunk drivers and holiday arrests.
Suffolk County officials burned a vehicle with pyrotechnics at the Suffolk County Fire Academy in Yaphank to show how quickly illegal fireworks can turn into a fire, injury and crash scene. Suffolk police said they were sending out enhanced holiday patrols, including officers assigned only to look for intoxicated drivers, as the county braced for July Fourth crowds, backyard celebrations and the dry, hot conditions that can make a small mistake spread fast.
The warning landed after a 66-year-old man was seriously injured while using fireworks in Brentwood, a case ABC7 New York tied to the demonstration in Yaphank. Suffolk County Fire Marshal’s Office already describes fireworks as dangerous and illegal on its public-education page, and county officials used the holiday run-up to push residents toward organized displays instead of personal fireworks. The message was aimed at keeping neighborhoods clear of stray blasts, keeping pets calmer and keeping first responders out of preventable danger.
The county has a large public-safety footprint behind that message. Suffolk County says it serves about 1.5 million residents and more than 10,000 emergency responders, a reminder of how quickly one illegal fireworks call can ripple through police, fire and EMS response. That scale has helped shape a steady crackdown in recent years, especially around the Fourth of July.
In one recent July Fourth weekend across Nassau and Suffolk, police made 52 DWI arrests and took 11 people into custody on fireworks-related infractions. Suffolk County Police also recently arrested two employees in Brentwood for unlawfully selling fireworks, showing that enforcement has reached beyond backyard use to the local supply chain as well.
Police have also used sobriety checkpoints during the holiday period, including one planned from 11 p.m. July 4 to 2:30 a.m. July 5 with STOP DWI volunteers assisting. County officials are signaling that this weekend’s patrols will look for both illegal pyrotechnics and impaired drivers before celebrations turn into another round of preventable emergency calls.
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