Only on WRAL: Durham Fire Department cracks down on illegal fireworks during Fourth of July holiday

Durham firefighters are cracking down on illegal fireworks ahead of Independence Day by doing safety checks at roadside stands and pop-up tents.

"We're looking that anything they got is not airborne," said Durham Assistant Fire Marshal Brandon Link during an inspection at Red, White, and Boom on Roxboro Road.

He looks for any product that leaves the ground or explodes like bottle rockets and roman candles, which are illegal in North Carolina. 

"There's nothing more American than a fireworks show, but there's a way to do it," Link said. 

The tent passed inspection and is hoping to cash in on celebrations for America's 250th. 

"We will never operate that way," operator Rodney Lewis said after passing. "Money's never more important than a person and we're going to abide by the law."

Not everyone follows the rules. Link said past crackdowns have yielded tens of thousands of dollars' worth of illegal fireworks at an east Durham shopping center last year. 

He warns the products are easy to get but can be risky to use. 

"They'll go buy fireworks usually south of the border somewhere, they'll come back and mark them up," Link said. "If you've got that in your hand, or if it's on the ground and doesn't explode or it catches a spark, you've essentially got a small bomb that just went off on your foot, in your hand, in your face."

North Carolina emergency rooms treat nearly 200 people each year for fireworks-related injuries, according to the Office of State Fire Marshal. 72% of those injuries happen in July. 

Link says only a handful of citations are handed out each year in Durham with penalties ranging from fines to possible jail time. 

"Typically, if it looks right, it is right. If it looks wrong, it's wrong," Link said. "If you're coming to an easy-up tent...with some people in lounge chairs and a minivan backed up to it, it's probably wrong. I probably wouldn't buy fireworks from there." 

Link reminds those buying fireworks that if they have questions about their purchase, to contact the Durham Fire Department.