CLEARWATER Fla. (WFLA) – Monday night’s fireworks came at a dear price for some Tampa Bay area residents. The light shows caused fires at two Clearwater homes.
Firefighters battled flames on a rooftop on Charles Street long after the fireworks ended. Officials say a man ignited fireworks off the rooftop deck and then went to bed.
By 4 a.m. the roof was on fire, causing $15,000 worth of damage.
Also on Monday night, a group of people improperly discarded fireworks after setting them off at a home on Jeffords Street. The fireworks caught fire, and the flames spread, causing around $4,000 in damage.
“I’m a firefighter and I don’t even mess with fireworks,” Sarasota County Assistant Fire Chief Bill Hoag said.
Hoag said to always soak fireworks for 24 hours before throwing them out. That ensures they won’t ignite.
“Basically what you’re doing is you’re flooding the firework. As you know, with any kind of explosion, it’s sort of like what we do with fire: We put water on it to put it out,” he explained.
It’s also important to properly dispose of fireworks, otherwise the spent shells could cause problems.
Meanwhile, in Sarasota County Tuesday morning volunteers cleaned up nearly two tons of garbage. There are concerns the trash and hazardous chemicals can impact the environment.
“It could be blown or washed into the waterways; the animals out in the Gulf would mistake it as food,” Wendi Crisp with Keep Sarasota County Beautiful said.
