Boston Officials Launch Fireworks Task Force, Urge COVID Caution Before Fourth of July

Uncategorized 2026-07-22 clip9029 · Meeting of July 22, 2026

Boston city officials issued twin public safety warnings on COVID-19 and illegal fireworks at a pre-Fourth of July press conference. Mayor Marty Walsh reported 13,467 total COVID-19 cases in Boston and 109,143 statewide, with 8,081 deaths in Massachusetts, and urged residents to wear masks, maintain six feet of distance, and avoid gatherings entirely. Walsh announced a new fireworks task force including all four at-large city councilors, Fire Commissioner Jack Dempsey, and the Boston Police Department's Bureau of Community Engagement, after 911 fireworks calls in the city peaked above 1,500 in early June before dropping to roughly 755.

Dempsey described three fires in the prior year attributed to illegal fireworks, including a four-alarm blaze on July 4 that destroyed two three-deckers and displaced 20 people. Police Commissioner Willie Gross reported 400 firearms removed from Boston streets so far this year and credited community tip calls — including one that produced a Mattapan arrest with two firearms and a large cache of fireworks — as the most effective enforcement tool available.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 1,793 words

Source: the Uncategorized 2026-07-22 clip9029 meeting of July 22, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.