July 4 Fireworks Safety

By ASHLEY BONE
Staff Reporter
abone@c-dh.net

Without public fireworks displays planned in Thompson’s Station or Spring Hill, more residents this year might set off their own.

The Fireworks Supermarket, located at the corner of Columbia Pike and Thompson Station Road East, offers hundreds of varieties for the do-it-yourself fireworks fanatics.

Spring Hill resident Scott Lanigan and his daughter, Maci, purchased several boxes last week for their subdivision’s annual block party.

Lanigan said his favorites are the Excalibur canister shells. “The canisters blow nice and loud,” he said.

Troy Allen, who manages the Fireworks Supermarket in Thompson’s Station, said there are several new varieties this year under the Eagle Premium label with names such as Dark Night, Titan’s Wrath and Super Power.

“They have the most gunpowder in a single firework that you can legally buy in Tennessee,” Allen said.

According to the city of Spring Hill’s zoning ordinance, residents are allowed to set off their own fireworks from noon to 11 p.m. on the Fourth of July.

Thompson’s Station also allows the use of fireworks and there are no set hours, said Town Administrator Greg Langeliers.

Spring Hill Fire Chief Jim Swindle shared fireworks safety tips to help keep families safe on the Fourth of July.

“The biggest thing is supervising small children-they can get burned,” Swindle said.

Additional safety tips:

Keep a source of water on hand. Because of the heat and dry temperatures, fireworks could cause brush fires

Never hold them in your hand.

Shoot them on hard surfaces such as a sidewalks and driveways.

Don’t shoot near any flammables.

Don’t point them at homes or other properties.

“We’ve had complaints in the past of people shooting them at neighbors’ homes,” he said.

Lanigan said his way of keeping his family safe is that he is the only one who lights the fireworks.

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