Things that go boom in the night may have more home-grown feel

LACONIA — The rockets’ red glare and bombs bursting in air may be fewer this Fourth of July, but that is not stopping a handful of communities and individuals from doing what they can to brighten up people’s summer.

Laconia and Bristol are the only two Lakes Region communities holding fireworks on the Fourth. Laconia’s display will go off from Opechee Park starting at 10 p.m. Fireworks in Bristol will be shot starting at dusk from the town beach at the foot of Newfound Lake.

However, because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, both communities canceled the traditional pre-fireworks activities, such as food booths, vendors, and live music.

In addition, there will be two displays shot from barges on Lake Winnipesaukee, also on Saturday night.

One display will take place starting at 9:30 off Weirs Beach. The 18-minute show is co-sponsored by Tiki Hut Boats of NH and Weirs Beach Jet Ski Rentals. The other show is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. off Scenic Drive in Gilford, and is being arranged by a local resident, according to Gilford Fire Chief Steve Carrier.

With fewer community-sponsored displays, more people than ever are resorting to at-home firework use.

“Business has been very steady and is definitely ahead of last year,” said Barbara Pelkey, who was working Thursday at the Atlas Fireworks store in Belmont, owned by her husband, Steve.

The American Pyrotechnic Association said some sellers could see jumps of 200 percent to 300 percent in sales, according to the group’s president Julie Heckman.

Pelkey said many of the customers that she has seen in recent days have either not purchased fireworks before, or are doing it for the first time in several years.

“We try to make it easier for those who have never bought before,” she said.

Josh Dow of Sanbornton, was one of those buying fireworks Thursday morning.

“It’s the first time I’ve done this. It’s for a family gathering,” Dow said as he put boxes of fireworks into the bed of his pickup truck.

Customers receive information on general safety precautions and a pamphlet put out by the National Council on Fireworks Safety, which contains general safety tips, Pelkey said.

That more neighborhoods or families may hold their own celebrations is drawing more attention than usual to safety concerns.

Laconia Fire Chief Kirk Beattie emphasized that state law requires that anyone setting off fireworks be 21 years of age or older. He also advised there be a bucket of water or hose close to where the fireworks are being lit. When accidents occur, victims usually receive hand or head injuries or severe burns, he pointed out.

Some fireworks can reach temperatures as high as 2,000 degrees, according to Carrier.

Beattie also warned that anyone who has been drinking should not be handling fireworks.

The Fourth of July weekend is always an extra busy time for the emergency room at Lakes Region General Hospital.

Hospital spokesperson Cass Walker said there is an “extended concern“ this year that more people may need to be treated for fireworks injuries because there are so few community-produced events.

Walker emphasized that should anyone be injured over the holiday, whether by fireworks or some other cause, they should not hesitate to come to the emergency room for treatment.

“It’s safe to come to the ER,” she said, noting that since the COVID outbreak people have been more reluctant to come to the emergency room for fear of contracting the coronavirus. “Safe and proper precautions are being made,” she said.

Walker said with hot weather in the forecast, people need to be extra careful to ensure they don’t succumb to heatstroke or severe sunburn.

“They need to stay hydrated and use sunscreen,” she said.

As Laconia prepares for the fireworks on the Fourth, Parks Facilities Director Amy Lovisek said Opechee Park, including its beaches, will be closed off during the day.

While parking will be available at the Middle School and in the lot opposite the Boys and Girls Club, Lovisek said some of the best views of the aerial display will be from the area around Bayside Court in Lakeport and along Old North Main Street.

“The further away (from Opechee Park) you are, the better the view,” she said.