Police are investigating whether 50-year-old Theodore Ellinghaus Jr. intentionally set the large firecracker that killed him yesterday, or was fatally wounded by accident. The Post reports that Ellinghaus, who lived with his father in Ozone Park, Queens, lit an M80 firecracker and held it against his body. The device was so powerful it "tore a hole through his stomach, leaving his organs exposed." Ellinghaus' father, Theodore Sr., told the paper he doesn't believe his son would commit suicide. "It was an accident. It went off. He wouldn't kill himself. He told me he wouldn't kill himself." more ›

Governor Cuomo doesn't want you buying dinky fireworks, but he's okay with Nik Wallenda crossing Niagara Falls on a tightrope. While vetoing a bill that would have legalized sparklers and other fireworks for five year olds, CityRoom reports that Cuomo signed a bill that excepts Wallenda—the seventh generation of the famous Flying Wallendas—from rules prohibiting stunts on the American side of the falls. Wallenda plans on walking over the falls next summer. more ›

Get ready to blow stuff up! more ›

Just as much as the big Macy's fireworks are tradition here in New York, so are the after hours 4th of July street-level fireworks that you more than likely tried to fall asleep to last night. Despite police warnings and the many videos showing amateur fireworks gone wrong, you can always count on someone in your neighborhood to light a few off. One tipster caught one such act on video, telling us that around 11 p.m. on South 3rd Street and Havemeyer, locals were "setting off fireworks at street level which were routinely flying out down the street, into buildings, and sometimes, perilously close to gathered crowds." more ›

In 2010, nearly a billion dollars worth of fireworks were sold in the US. This year stands to be even more successful, and for most of the country, they're becoming an essential (and legal) part of the holiday. Just not in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts or Delaware, the only 4 states that ban them. Long Island resident Eric Smith, who lost his arm trying to set off a mortar last year, says it's for a good reason. "Don't light fireworks. Don't trust them," he tells Newsday (paywall), "That one-in-a-million chance will get you. It got me." more ›

Setting off fireworks without a permit in NYC is illegal, which means the NYPD has been busy confiscating them during the annual July 4th fireworks crackdown. While there's a special focus on Staten Island's fondness for illicit pyrotechnics that make neighborhoods "war zones," fireworks are being grabbed everywhere, which means the police have a stockpile of fireworks. Which they destroy! Check out this video of the bomb squad setting off 5,000 pounds of them at the NYPD firing range in the Bronx. more ›

While you gaze upwards this weekend to watch explosive pyrotechnic devices burst in the night sky, now you'll have a better idea of what they are seeing. If fireworks could see (they can't). Someone's gone and attached a camera to fireworks, and the outcome is pretty interesting! Watch below, and be sure to turn up the sound. more ›

Staten Island residents love their own fireworks displays—you don't have an "all-out brawl" otherwise—but the Staten Island DA's office and NYPD are warning them not to participate in the illegal activity. In fact, the NYPD is flooding certain SI neighborhoods with 100 cops: Borough Commander Stephen Paragallo said the cops would be "broken up into mobile field forces to address complaints of fireworks." more ›

A few years back, Macy's pissed off pretty much all of Brooklyn and Queens by moving their annual fireworks display to the Hudson River, so Hoboken basically got the best view. Those to the east retaliated with firework parties of their own, only occasionally blowing off their own arms. A few days ago, we got a tip indicating that the show might be relocating, but today comes the official word that yet again, the fireworks will be held over the Hudson. more ›

The New York Philharmonic had to cancel its planned fireworks on Tuesday night due to the weather (the concert still went on, though), so the pyrotechnics were on display last night over Central Park. Check them out in the above pictures and the video below: more ›

The family of the man whose left arm was blown off when lighting illegal fireworks in front of his Islip Terrace home say that doctors cannot reattach the limb. Eric Smith's grandfather told the Daily News, "His arm is gone. It's not going to be attached." His uncle revealed to the Post that Smith asked about the extend of the damage, "He didn't realize how far it [the limb] was gone... He's going to have a rough road... a couple of tough weeks ahead of him. They could not attach the arm. It's severed from the shoulder down." more ›

America's 234th birthday was celebrated with a gorgeous display of fireworks. Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular was over the Hudson River for a second year in a row, drawing thousands of people to the West Side Highway to see 40,000 shells explode in 26 minutes from six barges. And while some people were disappointed the fireworks weren't over the East River again, these photographs (above) and this video (below) show that the pyrotechnics could even be seen from Brooklyn and Queens. more ›

Even though authorities warn about the dangers of illegally using fireworks during the July 4th holiday, people still do it—and the consequences can be severe. Yesterday, a Suffolk County man blew off his arm while lighting illegal fireworks at his home in Islip Terrace. According to Newsday, Eric Smith, 36, was "shooting mortars from a 3-foot metal tube in the street in front of his Fairview Avenue home." more ›

It's July 4th, on which we celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence (transcript) and the colonies' independence from Great Britain in 1776. And here's that famous opening:

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. more ›

We already gave you a comprehensive guide on the best spots to watch the Macy's 4th of July fireworks show, but what if you're one of the many New Yorkers who decided to ditch town for the holiday? Why should you be forced to watch the madness on TV? The Wall Street Journal published this guide to fireworks all over the area. We can personally vouch for a great show in Katonah, and if you somehow black out before the fireworks on the 4th you can haul ass to Rye for a belated display on the 5th. If you're still around, you can catch the early show at Wolfe's Pond Park in Staten Island. [Via Pat Kiernan's Twitter] more ›

It's just three days until the Fourth of July and the big Macy's Fireworks Spectacular which will be over the Hudson River, for a second year in a row (the Hudson apparently allows for bigger barges, which then results in a bigger display). An estimated 40,000 shells will explode in a 26-minute period! Here's the deal: more ›

On July 4th, Americans across the land celebrate the enduring power of nationalism by blowing stuff up. When professionals do it, it's aired live on national television with musical stylings from Justin Bieber. (Will he blow up, too? Tune in to NBC Sunday night to find out!) But when amateurs set off fireworks, that's grounds for arrest. So to remind everyone about the hazards of playing with fireworks, Suffolk County police channeled their inner Gallagher and released this video of an M80 blowing up a watermelon. How can they possibly top that, you ask? By blowing up a Ford Mustang filled with confiscated fireworks: more ›

This morning we took a trip out to the secret, secure location* where Macy's is loading 40,000 fireworks shells on to six enormous barges ahead of this Sunday July 4th fireworks show. We weren't allowed on to the actual barges: Apparently handling explosives involves a license from the FDNY. But we were able to snap some pictures of the pyro-techs from SoUSA loading and wiring the display, and we also got to play with a bunch of dummy shells—specially prepared to prevent bloggers from blowing themselves up! more ›