The Chinese are usually credited with inventing fireworks. The combination of chemicals that produced gunpowder probably was an accident, but it has proven a momentous one. By the mid-16th century, fireworks were an established part of the election of a pope in Europe. And, of course, they've been a part of celebrations in the US since our country was established.
Following the Revolutionary War, veterans celebrated Independence Day by firing their muskets. One of the colonies' main rabble rousers, Declaration of Independence signer and second President John Adams, wrote his wife Abigail that the founding of the new nation "ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations [Colonialese for "fireworks"], from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore." And thus, he prophesied, we would always remember that historic date in 1776 -- the second of July. OK, so he was off a couple of days (Adams was marking the resolution of independence; we celebrate the signing of the Declaration). The precarious new nation's first birthday celebration occurred in Philadelphia on July 4, 1777. Bonfires blazed, bells rang, bands played patriotic music and, yep, fireworks were exploded. For decades, each annual celebration was also punctuated with small arms fire.
In the middle of the 19th century, someone got the bright idea -- and, incredibly, many others liked the idea -- of placing an anvil atop a bag of gunpowder and blowing it sky high. History books don't mention the survival rate of participants, but it's probably significant that this particular form of entertainment has died out.
Cheap firecrackers came to the US from China, shortly after the end of the Civil War. They were mostly noise, and Americans considered them too mild. So, with the pioneer spirit that made this country what it is today, they set to work making firecrackers much more dangerous. Soon the miniature bombs were causing thousands of cases of blindness, lost limbs, and other injuries each year. Public health advocates, and finally the press, demanded the ban of firecrackers. It took awhile, but by the middle of the 20th century, over half the states had made the possession or explosion of firecrackers illegal.
By the 1970s, a nationwide ban seemed imminent. Instead, two formerly opposing forces worked out a compromise. The federal government imposed standards. It banned the highly dangerous cherry bomb and instituted a maximum explosive capability for firecrackers that comes out to about one-30th of the force of cherries. Fireworks manufacturers, determined to preserve their lucrative and popular business, raised their quality-control standards. Better fuses and more stable chemical combinations helped. And so firecrackers began to be popular again.
During the 1990s, the sale of firecrackers almost doubled, but the number of injuries has remained about the same. Not that the number is insignificant. Every year hundreds of people in the US are wounded -- some seriously or even fatally -- by fireworks. But you gotta figure some of these folks would get themselves killed at any kind of party, with or without fireworks, so hey. . .
Luckily for local lovers of colorful explosives, buying fireworks has rarely been a problem. Who do you have to thank for that? Why, it's South Carolina and its long-held culture of not giving a flying damn what the rest of the country thinks. In fact, a mighty roar of grumbling arose from the first state to secede from the Union when the feds got in their face in the 1970s by imposing more restrictive standards. Things soon cooled down, however, when it became apparent that the new safety measures would wind up increasing sales. True, the pitiful orbs called "cherry bombs" today are a far cry from the little red boogers of yesteryear, which could easily take out a rural mailbox (or a hand) with just one blast (note that during the 60s and early 70s, you could buy something called M-80s in South Carolina which were widely rumored to be an eighth of a stick of dynamite -- whatever they were, they made cherry bombs look like firecrackers). To compensate for today's loss of sheer firepower, current fireworks lovers now have access to much more "professional"-looking color displays than in the old high-firepower days.
Heat of the Moment
Intellectuals have come up with a wide array of rationales for the appeal of fireworks, some sensible and some just plain obtuse. Kevin Saltino, a scholar at the Getty Research Institute for the History of Art and the Humanities, claims that fireworks are about politics, propaganda, sex, sublimity, order over chaos, and intellectual illumination. And, not least, he says, "They are a memento mori -- a reminder of death." However, a child overheard last year may have said it better: "The colors are neat, and I like that big boom."
Whatever the reason, fireworks displays have become a big business. Here's just one example: New York-based Grucci (the owners of which call themselves "The First Family of Fireworks") made over $2 million on Fourth of July shows in 1999. Grucci's New Year's Washington Monument extravaganza involved 140 tons of sand, 135 miles of wire, 26 technicians and enough lumber to build an average house.
The amount of fireworks set off in the US each year approaches 100 million pounds. Seventy-five percent of it is exploded over the Independence Day holiday. Not surprisingly, the shooting of thousands of tons of explosives into the air has several effects on the natural environment.
First is the noise. Explosions are traumatic interruptions in the lives of animals, who find them frightening rather than entertaining. For example, fireworks displays interrupt the lives of terns nesting on the sandy beaches of the northeastern US. Early July is a critical time for the terns, since it's when the adults are incubating eggs on the nests. If the adult leaves the nest for only a minute or two, predators arrive in search of defenseless prey. Frequently, fireworks celebrations frighten the birds so much that they abandon their nests entirely; the birds' mortality rate soars during the Fourth of July week.
In the hills around Tucson, Arizona, people celebrating Independence Day expect two kinds of fiery celebrations. First come the fireworks that light up the night sky. Then, as the rockets fall to the desert below, they start brush fires, further amusing onlookers who give little thought to the damage being caused. The environmental hazards of fireworks go beyond noise and the risk of fire. Recent studies reveal that, after fireworks displays, the atmosphere is saturated with increased amounts of fine particles, including higher-than-expected concentrations of sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrous oxide.
And no wonder -- there's a whole lot of chemicals in fireworks. In addition to blackpowder (which contains cancer-causing sulfur-coal compounds) that shoots the rockets into the sky and blasts them into those pretty shapes we love so much, fireworks also house toxic metals that produce some of those lovely colors. Copper compounds produce deep blues, potassium and rubidium compounds make glowing purples, strontium and lithium both create bright reds, boric acid heats up to a gorgeous green, while aluminum, magnesium and titanium flash off blazing white sparks. And oh yeah, some of the finest greens are produced by radioactive barium.
The weather can also have an effect. In the US, fireworks are most often exploded during the hot, muggy first week of July. Temperature inversions and still air can result in sharply increased pollution -- exactly what smog-ridden cities, and their citizens' lungs don't need.
Safety First
In case you didn't know, it is patently illegal to shoot off fireworks in the city of Charlotte (unless you get permission to stage a big display, such as the yearly WBT Skyshow). Nonetheless, you know and I know that some of you -- make that a lot of you -- will be setting off fireworks anyway. With South Carolina's massive supply of pyrotechnics so nearby, the temptation is just too strong. So, a few tips. If you don't work in a fireworks factory and don't plan to blow up a fireworks store, you have only two things to worry about -- not hurting yourself or someone else while setting off at-home pyrotechnics, and safely enjoying the public display. It's astonishing how many accidents are caused by people ignoring the few simple safety precautions for igniting fireworks at home.
Following these rules could prevent many injuries:
Read the directions. Make sure you understand what each firework is supposed to do.
Don't allow children to play with fireworks unsupervised. This cardinal rule is the one most often violated. The result is a surprising number of maimed and even blinded children. Perhaps adult memories of Fourths past make them less careful than they should be. Personally, I remember Roman Candle shootouts in the front yard on the night of the Fourth, my friends and I firing at each others' butts with the hot, flaming missiles. Were any of us ever burned? Well, yes. So be more careful than our parents were.
Ignite fireworks outdoors, safely away from houses and flammable materials, such as dry leaves or polyester clothing.
Don't experiment by taking fireworks apart, combining them, or enclosing them in containers. And needless to say, don't eat the fireworks.
Keep water handy. Dunk the dud fireworks; don't try to relight them. By not firing at once, they've already proven their defective status, which makes them more dangerous, not less.
The guidelines are even simpler when attending a public display:
Usually the show is best observed from at least a couple hundred yards away. However, if you're close to the firing site, remain in the designated viewing area. If you're too close, you could be in danger from burning fragments, shells that explode too soon, and duds.
If you find a dud or an unexploded fragment, don't nab it as a souvenir; even dropping it could make it explode. Likewise, don't go prowling the site for souvenirs after the show. Regard it as a minefield until the professionals have checked it for malfunctioning shells.
Don't bring along the family pets. Each year the American Veterinary Medical Association reminds pet owners that fireworks don't just damage animals' hearing. Pets can also be frightened so that they bolt away and get hurt in some other way.
John Grooms contributed to this article.
