If you’re reading this column then congratulations for surviving another Fourth of July holiday!
According to an article in Newsweek which cites data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there are an average 230 fireworks-related injuries near and on the 4th of July.
There was a death in Billings. The Billings Gazette reports that a 32 year-old man was hit by a mortar round and killed in what was called a “horrible” fireworks accident.
Probably the most publicized death this year was the 22-year-old man from Maine, who tried to fire a mortar off the top of his head and was killed when it ignited. Reports say he had been drinking…
Locally, the Great Falls Tribune reported that Great Falls firefighters responded to 51 fire calls in a 24-hour period beginning on the Fourth of July and ending at 7:30 a.m. Sunday.
Great Falls Battalion Chief Bob Shupe put it all in perspective when he told the Tribune that it’s only a matter of time before the misuse of fireworks in the city causes a major problem.
The Western Word 