Fireworks in the News: 2017 Part One

Given the historic popularity of our posts where we look at fireworks in the news, it will again be a feature of the Firework Crazy blog in 2017. As in previous years, every three months we’ll look at the times when fireworks have been mentioned or featured in the news in the prior quarter. Again, as we’ve done in previous years, as we generally cover the big events such as New Year’s Eve, Fourth of July, and Bonfire Night (obviously!) we won’t include these in our reviews.
So, that’s enough of an introduction! How have fireworks been featured in the news so far in 2017?

Las Fallas 2017

Though we featured a preview of Las Fallas 2017 a few weeks ago, we don’t cover the event after it’s happened. As is always the case, Las Fallas proved hugely popular with many tourists flocking to Valencia to join in the festivities.
One highlight widely reported was the burning of effigies of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi – both of whom were “popular” among this year’s festival goers.
Read more on the burning of these effigies here.
Check out Reuters coverage of Las Fallas 2017.

Push to Legalise Fireworks in Iowa

One of the quirks of living in the United States – compared to the UK – is the different laws that govern each state. If you live in an area close to state borders it can be difficult to fully understand what you can and can’t do in some aspects of your life.
Fireworks are one subject that have caused consternation for some time. While the sale of fireworks would be banned in one state but allowed in a neighbouring state, for example, people would drive over the border to buy fireworks before returning home.
In Iowa, where fireworks are currently illegal, there is now a push to legalise consumer fireworks in the state, although there is still strong opposition to the plans given the large swathes of Iowa that remains rural.
You can read more about the proposed legalisation of fireworks in Iowa here.

Russia Hacks the Fireworks!

This is a funny rather than a serious one, and something you may already be aware of if you watched the run up to the inauguration of President Trump in January.
On the eve of the inauguration the traditional fireworks display took place, and while there were some rather stylish fireworks that aimed to spell out “USA,” they appeared instead to spell “USR,” cue the standard ‘Twitter meltdown’ and conspiracy theories afoot.
Read more here, or check out the video below to make your own mind up.

Drunk Man Burns Down Fireworks Shop in China

Fireworks forming part of a revenge plot is a new one even on us, but that’s exactly what happened in China in early February.
The story? One owner of a fireworks store had his stock confiscated as he was breaching regulations for the storage of explosives. The stock was moved to another fireworks store. The owner of the first store then got drunk, entered the store where his fireworks were being kept, purchased some fireworks, and set them off.
Not a pretty scene.

Buying Your Own Fireworks? Stay Safe

That concludes our roundup of fireworks in the news in the first quarter of 2017. Remember that if you’re buying your own fireworks in the coming months to only buy them from fully licensed sellers like us, and follow all instructions to the letter to ensure you stay safe.