With the summer heat beginning to make its mark, this upcoming July will likely be quite the scorcher. Unlike any other season, drivers will be experiencing intense amounts of heat when they leave their cars out in the open this summer. While there are many concerns that come to mind regarding children, animals, and gas, there is a specific concern that, with the Fourth of July coming around, needs to be addressed: What might happen if a hot car houses fireworks?
Keeping something that’s meant to explode in the night sky inside of a hot car is potentially dangerous. Regardless of the results, if a firework were to go off inside of a car, the threat that it poses to a driver and those around them would be really bad. No one wants to be in a small space with a firework, especially on the road where they least expect it.
Thankfully, it’s unlikely that this will occur naturally due to the particulars of igniting a firework. While the sun is hot, the amount of heat that would be needed to get fireworks to ignite is much more than the sun provides. Unless the igniter is using concentrated heat produced by angling a magnifying glass, there’s little to no chance that the glass from a car window would set anything ablaze. If it was possible to ignite without these conditions, car fires would be a rampant issue!
So for those looking to store their fireworks in a car, know that the danger posed by the summer heat can do nothing to your upcoming display. We hope you enjoy your celebration of American history with the safety and attention you would give to your driving experience.
Nathan Johnson, Intern
