A fire sparked by fireworks last year destroyed four houses and left six West Side families homeless.

In 1997, a local firefighter lost his life battling a blaze sparked by fireworks.

Each year, thousands of people are injured across the country by illegal fireworks.

With the Fourth of July weekend upon us, Erie County Sheriff Tim Howard and Buffalo Fire Commissioner Mike Lombardo held a news conference Thursday in LaSalle Park to talk about the dangers of fireworks in an effort to discourage their illegal use.

“Fireworks are very dangerous, they cause deaths,” Lombardo said as he stood near a table filled with an array of fireworks seized last month on Grand Island.

Howard also addressed growing concerns with sellers in neighboring states, particularly Pennsylvania and Ohio, that advertise to New York State residents. Many consumers bring the items back into New York.

“It’s unlawful to bring them back to New York State if you are not licensed,” Howard said.

Last year alone, there were 10,000 emergency room visits and nearly 32,000 fires nationwide attributed to the illegal use of fireworks.

Lombardo believes that New York State is on “the right side of the law” in making fireworks illegal.

“People need to remember that these are explosives,” he said.

Lombardo and Howard encouraged residents to attend the many fireworks events that will be held throughout the weekend.

“There are great shows throughout Western New York and people should go enjoy those,” Lombardo said. “Leave it to the professionals.”