As fireworks go on sale, C.O. fire officials urge caution, offer safety tips

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ)-- The Fourth of July is less than two weeks away, and stands opened up on the High Desert Tuesday for customers to buy fireworks.

One stand, called Discount Firework Superstore, off Highway 97 in Bend, told NewsChannel 21 they partnered with Believers Cornerstone Fellowship in Redmond to sell fireworks and raise funds.

Many of the fireworks stands in Bend were still setting up Tuesday afternoon.

They're selling variety packs, sparklers -- pretty much anything legal, for whatever legal fireworks show you want to put on.

Jaan Pinedo, who is helping run the stand, said Oregon is one of the more lucrative states where they the fireworks. He said they have fireworks as little as 50 cents, all the way up to $500, and bring in all sorts of people.

"Hundreds of people will come in here, whether it's just questions or looking at them," Pinedo said. "A lot of people just come in here, because firework tents are sentimental to them from growing up. So they’ll come in here and get memories, and then buy a couple of things. Others will come in here and buy fireworks for next year.”

Bend Fire & Rescue Battalion Chief Trish Connolly said last year, on the Fourth of July, they had two structure fires because of fireworks that were not properly disposed of.

She said you need to light fireworks at least 25 feet from anything that is combustible, and if you light fireworks, make sure you have a hose or bucket of water nearby.

“And try not to re-light duds -- that’s very important," Connolly said. "We see that people try to re-light them, and they explode in their hand.

"The most important thing we want people to know is that when they're done lighting their fireworks one at a time, to wait until they're done smoking, about 10-15 minutes, and then to have buckets of water available," she said. "We want people to soak their fireworks overnight before putting them in a plastic bag and throwing them away.”

Connolly said it's important to remember that even though several kinds of fireworks are legal in Oregon, they are all illegal on forest land and state lands.

Bend police reported in the month of June, they received 14 fireworks complaints, a number likely to rise as the holiday approaches.