June 9, 2025, Press Release from the Ohio State Fire Marshal:
COLUMBUS, Ohio — In the wake of a deadly home explosion over the weekend in Trumbull County involving the manufacturing of homemade fireworks, the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of State Fire Marshal is warning about the dangers associated with making homemade fireworks.
Last Saturday, June 7, one person was killed, and two others were critically injured in a home explosion in Liberty in Trumbull County. An investigation into the explosion by the State Fire Marshal’s Fire and Explosion Investigations Bureau (FEIB) revealed occupants of the home had been manufacturing homemade fireworks in the home’s garage. Investigators with the FEIB are continuing to investigate along with local, state, and federal agencies.Â
In Ohio, it is illegal for anyone to manufacture, possess, use, or store 1.3G fireworks without a specific license. This includes homemade fireworks.
Manufacturing and using homemade fireworks are particularly dangerous because of the volatility of chemical mixtures and materials used and the lack of knowledge and experience most people have in dealing with them.Â
“Making homemade fireworks is incredibly dangerous and as we have unfortunately seen, can turn tragic in an instant,” State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon said. “The production of fireworks is something that should always be left to the professionals.”
Additional safety information on fireworks can be found here.
