Rutherford County, TN - The final day that you can legally shoot Independence Day fireworks in the municipalities in this county has passed. Several have died in fireworks accidents this year.
- Murfreesboro: Allowed July 3 through July 5 from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- La Vergne: July 2 through July 5 from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. On July 4, the permitted hours are from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Smyrna: July 3 through July 5 from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. On July 4, fireworks are allowed until 1 a.m.
In adjacent communities, fireworks are PROHIBITED in:
- Brentwood
- Frankliln
- Nashville (entire county)
- Woodbury
East TN Man Killed by Fireworks
Tennessee recorded a 4th of July fireworks fatality. The tragedy occurred in a rural area of East Tennessee when three adult Maryville men were holding lit fireworks in their hands.
Witnesses told Blount County Sheriff’s deputies that a 35-year-old man was evidently holding the explosives too close to his chest. He fell to the ground when it went off. That’s when they saw a gaping holes in his chest as well as a significant cut on his right hand.
Deputies arrived quickly and began CPR on Matthew Sellars while keeping pressure on the wound. Ambulance paramedics took over and then transported him to Blount Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead around 10:30PM (Eastern Time).
Fireworks Also Took Lives in South Carolina, Illinois and Alabama
- A South Carolina male died when he lit a fireworks display and placed it on his head.
- A 34-year-old Illinois man died while handling fireworks in Chicago’s northside. Police pronounced him deceased at the scene.
- Another Illinois man died, a 25-year-old Lasalle resident died while handling illegal fireworks.
- A fireworks explosion took the life of a 20-year-old Harvest, Alabama resident.
