Sunday, July 5, 2015

Man seriously injures hand in Saugus, Mass. fireworks accident



A man seriously injured his hand after a fireworks accident in Saugus on Saturday and will face charges, according to state fire officials.

Authorities were called to 7 Oak Point Road around 10 p.m. Saturday, said State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan. The man had suffered a serious injury, Coan said, and was taken to a Boston hospital.

The injury occurred while the man was lighting fireworks in the backyard, according to a statement from Jennifer Mieth, chief public information officer for the Department of Fire Services. The fireworks included commercial-grade products.

“A large cache of fireworks was discovered in a bedroom of the residence,” Mieth said. “The State Police Bomb Squad was called to secure the fireworks, take evidence to submit to the Crime Lab, and on the morning of July 5 to detonate the fireworks at the Saugus Department of Public Works facility. 

Charges will be brought in conjunction with the Essex District Attorney’s office.”
Only licensed professionals are allowed to use, possess, and transport fireworks in Massachusetts, Coan said in a statement.

Authorities made several other large seizures of fireworks in Pembroke, Hyannis, and Dennis over the holiday weekend, the statement said.

A “ ‘private’ show with illegal fireworks” at 37 Blackbird Drive in Pembroke led to a seizure by Pembroke police and State Police.

In Hyannis, the State Police bomb squad, Barnstable police, and the Hyannis Fire Department stopped a U-Haul truck packed with thousands of dollars of fireworks on Route 6 after the fire marshal’s office receive a tip.

And in Dennis, the State Police bomb squad, Department of Fire Services, and the Dennis police and fire departments are working together to handle and dispose of several large caches of fireworks with an estimated worth of $7,000-$8,000.