COLUMBUS — 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, 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 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.

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.

“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.”

Ohioans can legally discharge 1.4G consumer fireworks in Ohio on certain days, unless their local municipality bans their use.

Fireworks can be discharged on the following dates and times:

∫ New Year’s Day (Midnight to 1 a.m.; 4-11 p.m.)

∫ Chinese New Year (4-11 p.m.)

∫ Cinco de Mayo (4-11 p.m.)

∫ Memorial Day weekend (4-11 p.m. the last Monday in May and the Saturday and Sunday immediately preceding that day)

∫ Juneteenth (4-11 p.m. June 19)

∫ July 3, 4, and 5, and the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday immediately before and after July 4 (4-11 p.m.)

∫ Labor Day weekend (4-11 p.m. the first Monday of September and the Saturday and Sunday immediately preceding that Monday)

∫ Diwali (4-11 p.m.)

∫ New Year’s Eve (4-11:59 p.m.)

According to state law, consumers can discharge fireworks on their own property or on another person’s property if the owner of that property has given express permission for fireworks to be discharged. There must be at least a 150-foot separation distance from the point of discharge of each firework aerial shell to spectators and to the nearest point of any structure or building.

Some of the rules surrounding the use of fireworks include:

No person under age of 18 is permitted to handle or discharge fireworks.

Fireworks must be discharged outdoors.

Fireworks cannot be discharged on public property or private school property.

Fireworks cannot be discharged if drought conditions exist or in an area where a red flag warning is in place or other weather hazard exists.

Aerial devices cannot be discharged within 150 feet of spectators (this includes aerial shells, roman candles, cakes, and bottle rockets).

Non-aerial devices cannot be discharged within 50 feet of spectators (this includes fountains, firecrackers, and ground effect devices).

Fireworks cannot be discharged within 150 feet of property housing livestock unless five days advance written notice is provided to the owner of the property where the livestock is housed.

Only fireworks purchased in Ohio can be discharged in Ohio. Consumers can purchase fireworks from any of the licensed sales locations throughout the state.