HUNTINGTON, W.Va.— Cabell County Prosecutor Jason Spears said the Scottown, Ohio Fireworks tragedy is still as fresh in his mind as the day is happened in 1996.
Spears was in high school when a match tossed by a kids as a joke into a bin of fireworks in a crowded fireworks store across the river from Huntington sent the entire building up in flames in seconds. Nine people, including a nine-year old boy were killed in the tragic incident. That’s why when Spears was
alerted of an illegal fireworks warehouse in his own county he was quick to joint the investigation.
“There are still people affected by that daily and it really range true to the Fire Marshal’s office and to my office to make sure things were secure and that didn’t happen again,” said Spears.
Two investigators from the West Virginia Fire Marshal’s office were alerted by a tip from the public that an old building in the county which had recently been rented looked to be a place which has become an illegal an unsecured fireworks warehouse. An individual from Kentucky has leased the space and the landlord was unaware of how the building was being used.
“They located the person who was importing them without all of the proper permits and license. In the course of that, my office seized those fireworks,” he added.
The fireworks were common, consumer fireworks, which would be legal for sale to the public in West Virginia. However, Spears said the owner had ignored laws about security and fire suppression and created an extremely dangerous situation for the public.
“That really goes to the crux of the reason why we’re so strict in West Virginia on fireworks operation and storage. It creates a danger that doesn’t need be there,” he said.
In a separate investigation, the state Fire Marshal announced multiple citations against a Tennessee man who was selling fireworks in Logan County without the proper permit.
Nick Harvey, 48, of Kingsport, Tn. was cited for four violations of failing to obtain the proper permits and certificates to sell fireworks in West Virginia. Inspectors also determined his tent and site did not meet any of the site rules established by West Virginia law. He was cited for general unlawful acts, transportation of fireworks, no novelty registration and no consumer fireworks registration. Harvey is set to appear before the Logan County magistrate at an unspecified time to answer the charges.