Fire Dept. reminds public how to safely dispose of fireworks after truck fire

MORGAN, Utah — Morgan County Fire Department is reminding the public to safely dispose of fireworks after several spent fireworks burned a truck.

According to a Facebook post, the owner of this new truck planned to let the burned fireworks cool-off overnight in the back of the truck and he’d throw them out in the morning. However, the fireworks had not had enough time to cool, resulting in several thousand dollars in car damages.

“Thanks to the quick actions of your Morgan County volunteer firefighters, this fire was contained to the bed of the vehicle.”

Since fireworks burn at such a high temperature, (1800 degrees-3000 degrees Fahrenheit,) they need a significant amount of time to cool down or it can reignite the cardboard around the edges. To prevent fires like this one, the Morgan County Fire Department shared the following steps to properly dispose of consumer fireworks:

1. Submerge the duds and exploded fireworks into water using buckets or another container that allows the fireworks to become completely saturated.

2. Let fireworks sit in the water for a minimum of 30 minutes (though they said 12+ hours is ideal!)

3. Remove the completely saturated fireworks and place them in a garbage bag. Tie it tightly.

4. Bag the firework and garbage bag again, tying the second bag tightly. This will help keep the fireworks from drying out and potentially becoming active.

5. Place the double-bagged fireworks into the trash or bring to a local landfill.