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OPPOSE EXPANSION OF FIREWORKS <br />Please contact us if you have any questions:Chief BJ Jungmann, Legislative Chair at legislative@msfca.org <br />We continue to strongly oppose the expansion of legal fireworks in Minnesota. Fireworks cause injury and pose serious fire risk. In the <br />last two years, fireworks have been dangerously misused during civil unrest and in other criminal ways. Fire damage from fireworks <br />totaled over $2 million in both 2020 and 2021, the highest property losses in at least ten years. Minnesota fireworks injuries also remain <br />at concerning levels and even resulted in the death of one teen in 2022. <br />Lithium-ion batteries supply power to many kinds of devices, but if not properly handled can catch on fire or explode. MNFAC wants to <br />ensure that firefighter training, fire suppression methods and fire codes are modernized as needed to reflect the inability of traditional <br />firefighting techniques to adequately extinguish fires caused by electric vehicle batteries. Any legislation impacting the use or disposal of <br />lithium-ion batteries, including requirements for EV charging stations and other similar infrastructure, should be vetted with the input of <br />MNFAC and the understanding of risks associated with the batteries, including thermal runaway, stranded energy, deep seated fires, and <br />the generation of toxic and flammable gases. <br />LITHIUM-ION BATTERY SAFETY