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Home Fire Insurance And Fireworks: Coverage For Seasonal Hazards
Standard homeowners insurance may cover fireworks, but this will depend on your insurer and whether fireworks are legally allowed in your area. The 4th of July calls for backyard barbecues, quality time with friends and family, and sometimes a fireworks accident.
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Read on to find out if your insurance covers firework damage and injuries when the odd firework goes wrong.
According to the American Pyrotechnics Association, sales of consumer fireworks have soared in recent years, reaching $2.2 billion in sales. USD in 2021
According to a recent report by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), fireworks caused 105 million fires.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in 2022 About 10,200 fireworks-related injuries were treated in US hospitals. The majority of injuries were caused to the hand or finger (29%) or to the head, face or ear (19%).
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Most fireworks-related injuries in 2022 experienced by adults aged 25 to 44 (2,700), followed by teenagers and young adults aged 15 to 24 (1,800).
Firecrackers (18%) and non-firecracker/rocket devices such as roman candles and sparklers (20%) caused the most injuries, according to the CPSC.
Be sure to read warning labels and practice fireworks safety tips (more on that below) to avoid injury.
A standard homeowner’s insurance policy may cover fires and injuries to others caused by fireworks, but this will depend on your carrier and whether you used fireworks that are legally allowed in your area. Insurance companies are more likely to deny losses related to the shooting off of illegal fireworks. In general, your policy will cover four types of physical damage:
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If your fireworks injure a third party, such as a neighbor or guest, you may be responsible for their medical bills. Fortunately, your homeowners policy provides third-party liability coverage in two ways:
Note that neither of these two policies will cover injuries sustained by you or anyone else living with you. Instead, you’ll have to rely on your health insurance.
If your home is damaged by someone else’s fireworks accident, you can file a claim under their insurance company’s liability portion. For example, if your roof was partially burned because a neighbor was shooting off fireworks in their yard and one of the fireworks landed on your roof, they and their homeowner’s insurance company should be responsible for repairing your roof.
In addition to a standard homeowners policy (see section above), an umbrella policy or custom liability policy can help you secure coverage or increase your existing coverage limits.
Is Firework Damage Covered?
Personal umbrella policies provide additional protection if a firework-related claim exceeds the limits of your standard policy. For example, let’s say you have $100,000 in personal liability insurance and a fireworks accident causes $150,000 in damages. Your home insurance will cover up to $100,000, and an umbrella policy can cover the remaining $50,000.
If your home insurer declines liability for fireworks coverage, you may need to purchase fireworks coverage under a custom liability policy. Custom fireworks liability coverage is coverage for high-risk activities that can be waived on a standard home insurance policy. In addition to firework-related injury coverage, a custom liability policy may also cover a backyard pool or trampoline incident.
Most consumer fireworks are allowed in most states. However, Illinois and Vermont only allow novelty products such as sparklers, while Massachusetts bans all consumer fireworks under the APA.
These safety tips can help prevent property damage and injury on the 4th of July. lighting fireworks.
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Also, consider learning your home insurance coverage class, which evaluates your area’s ability to prevent and suppress fires. You are ranked from one to 10, with one being the best score. If your community has a poor score, be extra careful when lighting fireworks, as your area may not have a fire station or abundant water supplies.
Fireworks can damage your home in several ways, such as accidentally hitting your home’s structure or a stray spark starting a fire that can spread throughout your home.
If you have suffered property damage or personal injury as a result of a firework accident caused by your neighbor, you may be able to file a liability claim with their homeowners insurance company or sue them for your losses.
Fireworks can be stored in the garage as long as it is a cool and dry place all year round, out of the reach of children and never on an electrical device that could cause the fireworks to be accidentally ignited by lightning or electrical surges. For more tips on safe handling and disposal of fireworks, contact your local fire marshal’s office.
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If the display is for commercial purposes (i.e. you rent the space and pay admission), you may need fireworks insurance. The price of fireworks insurance can vary based on the size of the event, the type of fireworks being lit, and your claims history, among other factors.
Dan Marticio is a content manager and has written more than 150 articles in various areas of insurance. His previous experience writing in the small business and personal finance verticals has earned him bylines for major fintech brands including LendingTree, ValuePenguin, Fundera, The Balance and NerdWallet. Its leaders always strive to help everyday consumers and entrepreneurs make informed decisions about their finances and business. For most Americans, the 4th of July is a time of joy, family gatherings, and most likely fireworks. There’s nothing like grilling out and celebrating the birth of your nation and your freedoms with your closest friends and family. Unfortunately, these celebrations don’t always go as planned. Hundreds of house fires, injuries and damage are caused by the use of fireworks each year.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) says people report more fires on the Fourth of July than any other day of the year. From 2009 to 2013 fireworks produced about 18,500 flames.
Children are especially at risk. People between the ages of five and nine are most likely to be injured by fireworks. Children aged 10-19 were the second most vulnerable group. In 2014 alone, firecrackers and similar explosives injured almost 10,500 young people.
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You might think that “kids” fireworks like sparklers or pop-pops aren’t dangerous. However, even these can cause fire or serious injury. In fact, in 2014 sparks accounted for more than a quarter of the damage associated with fireworks. That makes a lot of sense when you hear it burning at 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Although injury is the most common harm caused by fireworks, it is certainly not the only harm. Most of us have anecdotal stories of fireworks that have gone awry and damaged someone. It doesn’t matter if it’s a broken window from a bottle rocket or a shingle dislodged from pieces of the roof.
If you light fireworks on the 4th of July and they accidentally start a fire in your home, your homeowner’s policy should cover you. However, if you intentionally caused a fire while making a firecracker, don’t look for insurance to help you. This also applies if you use fireworks illegally.
What if your neighbor’s fireworks go off in your house? Your insurer will likely file a claim against them for the loss.
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If you find that your standard homeowners policy doesn’t cover fireworks damage, ask if an umbrella policy does. This may be the best option for you to get coverage.
On a related note, family.com says insurance companies often consider the following when a customer files a claim for such damage:
Of course, all this is thrown out the window if the damage was caused by the use of fireworks by neighbors.
No matter what damage is done to your home, the professionals at K&P Roofing, Siding and Home Improvement can get it back in shape in no time. Our contractors will work with you, guide you through the insurance claims process, and help you recover from damage to your home. Invite professionals you can trust. K&P has an A+ BBB rating and has been in business for over 20 years! Whether it’s Fourth of July fireworks or New Year’s fireworks, when pyrotechnics damage your home, it can be a disaster. Some of the firework damage we’ve seen is as simple as burn marks on your house’s siding. And in the worst case scenario, fireworks cause injuries or a house fire and extensive damage.
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If you’re reading this right after your home or property was damaged by fireworks, don’t wait! Call your local fire department and try to put out any flames or embers that could further damage your property or start a fire.
You want to be covered for firework damage under your homeowner’s insurance policy. According to Forbes magazine, in 2018 fireworks caused nearly 19,500 fires. Many of these fires were simply wildfires, but many
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