SHELTON — Three people were injured Saturday night when fireworks they were using illegally malfunctioned in a residential neighborhood, police said.
The incident occurred around 9:30 p.m. in the backyard of a home on Oak Avenue.
Two men, ages 28 and 32, and a 25-year-old woman suffered burns to their hands and faces when a large mortar-style firework exploded prematurely, according to Shelton Police Chief Shawn Sequeira.
All three were transported to Bridgeport Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Sequeira said the fireworks being used were not legal in Connecticut.
State law only permits sparklers and fountains containing less than 100 grams of pyrotechnic mixture for use by individuals 16 and older.
“This serves as a reminder of how dangerous illegal fireworks can be,” Sequeira said. “We urge residents to only use legal sparklers and fountains, and to exercise extreme caution even with those.”
Police confiscated several boxes of illegal fireworks from the property.
The incident remains under investigation and charges are pending, Sequeira said.
