Fire officials urge residents to leave fireworks to the professionals
Fires, explosions, and serious injuries related to illegal fireworks spike each summer in Massachusetts, and fire service leaders are asking residents and visitors to leave those dangerous devices to the professionals.
“Here in Massachusetts, fireworks have caused over 500 fires and explosions, more than 200 emergency department visits, and nearly $1 million in damages over the past five years,” said State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine. “They are illegal without licensing and certification because they are so dangerous. Please don’t risk a fire, an injury, or a day in court – leave fireworks to the professionals.”
The weeks around July 4th are extremely busy for your local fire department,” said Westborough Fire Chief Patrick J. Purcell, president of the Fire Chiefs Association of Massachusetts. “Fires and injuries spike as people put themselves, their families, and their neighbors in harm’s way with illegal fireworks. These incidents can draw firefighters and EMTs away from other emergencies in your city or town. If you want to watch a great fireworks show this summer, please check out one of the many safe, permitted displays scheduled in communities across Massachusetts.”
Of the 220 fireworks-related visits to Massachusetts emergency departments from 2020 to 2024, 111 took place during June and July. These months also accounted for 366 of the 559 fires and explosions caused by fireworks during the same five-year period. Both injuries and fires held relatively steady last year and reflect a decline from the historically high numbers in 2020, when 75 ER visits and 187 fires or explosions were reported statewide.
Massachusetts law requires police to seize any illegal fireworks they encounter in the course of their duties. This includes fireworks that were purchased lawfully in another state and transported to Massachusetts. People who use or possess them illegally are also subject to a fine, while the unlawful sale of fireworks is an arrestable offense that carries potential jail time. The law is effective: the Massachusetts fireworks injury rate is about .5 per 100,000 residents compared with a national rate of 2.89 per 100,000 residents.
The Department of Fire Services posts a list of permitted fireworks displays and updates it each week through the summer. To view the list – and to learn more about the dangers of illegal fireworks – visit the DFS website.
RMV’s Low Plate Lottery returns for 2025
The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is announcing applications for the 2025 Low Number Plate Lottery will be available online at myRMV Online Service Center beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, June 16, 2025. To be eligible, applicants must apply for this year’s lottery by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 15, 2025. Winners will be notified by mail if selected for a low number plate.
This year, there are 283 plates available through the low plate lottery. Some of the available low plates include 42, 108, 1997, 12K, X8 and A78.
Applicants should note that there is no fee to apply for the lottery. However, should the applicant be selected as a winner, there is a special plate fee that will be required, as well as a standard registration fee.
Customers are encouraged to visit the RMV’s website or follow @MassRMV on X (formerly Twitter) for details about the lottery plate drawing to be announced later this summer, including the date, time, livestream link, and location of the event.
In addition, lottery plate applicants will be sent a notification from the RMV to the email address they provided with lottery event details.
The lottery results will be posted after the drawing on the RMV website.
Lottery Rules and Eligibility Requirements
Only one entry per applicant will be accepted, regardless of the number of active registrations the applicant has.
An applicant must be a Massachusetts resident with a Massachusetts driver’s license or ID card in good standing and a currently active, registered, and insured passenger vehicle.
Companies/corporations may not apply.
MassDOT (Registry of Motor Vehicles, Highway, Mass Transit, and Aeronautics) employees, including contract employees, and their immediate family members are not eligible. “Immediate family member” refers to one’s parents, spouse, children, and brothers and sisters. Individuals involved in the management of MassDOT divisions are also ineligible.
Requests for specific plate numbers will not be honored. Eligible applicants will be considered for all plates listed. Plates will be awarded in the order in which they are listed on Mass.Gov/lowplatelottery
An applicant’s registration, Massachusetts driver’s license, or ID card cannot be in a non-renewal, suspended, or revoked status at the time of entry, the time of the drawing, or the time of the plate swap. As such, an applicant must not have any outstanding excise taxes, parking tickets, child support, warrants, or unpaid E-Z Pass/Pay by Plate violations.
Online entries must be completed by August 15, 2025 at 5:00 p.m.
By law, lottery winners must be announced by September 15, 2025. Lottery results will be available on the RMV website: Mass.Gov/lowplatelottery
All winners will be notified by the RMV in writing with instructions on how to transfer their current registration to their new lottery plate. Winners will have until December 31, 2025 to swap their plates. Plates will be registered to the winning applicant only. Unclaimed plates will be forfeited after December 31 and awarded to the alternate winners.
All plates remain the property of the RMV even after registration.
All information received, including names of all applicants and the list of winners, is subject to release in accordance with the Massachusetts Public Records law.