The annual tradition of busting Bay Staters with fireworks before the Fourth of July is underway.
A local police department recently seized 100 boxes of fireworks 鈥 worth an estimated $40,000 to $50,000 鈥 as the department was set to charge two men for the illegal fireworks sale.
Wilmington Police last Friday was alerted by a resident of a flyer advertising a fireworks sale at 65 Industrial Way.
Police set up surveillance in the area, and then officers went into the building during the sale. The cops found two men, a 49-year-old man from Tewksbury and a 56-year-old man from Nottingham, N.H., who were allegedly responsible for the fireworks sales.
Both men will be summonsed to court to face a charge of selling fireworks.
Police reportedly found 70 unopened boxes of fireworks and 30 opened boxes of fireworks, worth an estimated $40,000 to $50,000.
Wilmington Police contacted the Wilmington Fire Department, State Police Bomb Squad and the State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit with the State Fire Marshal鈥檚 Office due to potential fireworks hazards.
The three agencies helped secure the fireworks, and the State Police Bomb Squad then took safe possession of all the fireworks.
Massachusetts law requires police to seize any illegal fireworks they encounter. This includes fireworks that were purchased lawfully in another state and transported to Massachusetts.
People who use or possess them illegally are also subject to a fine, while the unlawful sale of fireworks is an arrestable offense that carries potential jail time.
Illegal fireworks have caused 559 fires and explosions, and 220 serious injuries in Massachusetts in the past five years, according to the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services.
鈥淔ireworks cause injuries and fires each year in Massachusetts, and we will not tolerate their sale or use here in Wilmington,鈥 Police Chief Joseph Desmond said in a statement.
鈥淚 want to thank the alert resident who brought this case to our attention, and the other agencies that helped us respond,鈥 the chief added.
Of the 220 fireworks-related visits to Massachusetts emergency departments from 2020 to 2024, 111 took place during June and July.
These months also accounted for 366 of the 559 fires and explosions caused by fireworks during the same five-year period.
Both injuries and fires held relatively steady last year and reflect a decline from the historically high numbers in 2020 鈥 when 75 ER visits and 187 fires or explosions were reported statewide.
鈥淗ere in Massachusetts, fireworks have caused over 500 fires and explosions, more than 200 emergency department visits, and nearly $1 million in damages over the past five years,鈥 said State Fire Marshal Jon Davine. 鈥淭hey are illegal without licensing and certification because they are so dangerous. Please don鈥檛 risk a fire, an injury, or a day in court 鈥 leave fireworks to the professionals.鈥
鈥淭he weeks around July 4th are extremely busy for your local fire department,鈥 said Westboro Fire Chief Patrick Purcell, president of the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts. 鈥淔ires and injuries spike as people put themselves, their families, and their neighbors in harm鈥檚 way with illegal fireworks. These incidents can draw firefighters and EMTs away from other emergencies in your city or town. If you want to watch a great fireworks show this summer, please check out one of the many safe, permitted displays scheduled in communities across Massachusetts.鈥
A list of professional fireworks display can be found at www.mass.gov/info-details/leave-fireworks-to-the-professionals.