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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 ›

The man who blew off his left arm while setting off illegal fireworks on his Islip Terrace front lawn apparently "knows he messed up." Eric Smith, 36, was using a homemade launcher (a metal pipe) when one hit him in the shoulder on Saturday; his uncle Paul Gilbert said, "He was beating himself up over what he did. He knows he messed up," and also said that Smith's wife "told the kids what happened. But she still hasn't let them see their dad. She thinks it's going to be too much for them to handle." The Post adds, "Gilbert also said Smith has been worried about whether he would be able to work at the LIRR again, but that his cousin, who is a high-ranking railroad official, has assured him he will have a job." 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 ›

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 ›

On Friday, Mayor Bloomberg, Police Commissioner Kelly and Fire Commissioner Scoppetta reminded the public that consumer fireworks are illegal and dangerous (watch the ones over the Hudson instead!) and urged them to call 311 to report fireworks. Bloomberg said, "This should be a time to celebrate. Something we look back on with nothing but good memories. How would you feel if one of your family members or friends was really badly injured or worse? The other thing is, how would you like to be arrested?" Staten Island is getting much of the attention, with the cops and fire department busting people who return from buying fireworks in Pennsylvania. S.I. Borough Commander Chief Stephen Paragallo told NY1, "The type of residences in the other boroughs, excluding Staten Island, generally play into not having these large shows, block party-type shows. Not to say they don't happen in the other boroughs, but not to the degree they happen here." Flashback: The 2007 fireworks fracas, which resulted in 19 arrests on Staten Island. more ›