Fireworks Safety Tips

Celebrate Independence Day safely and responsibly! Residents in the City of Columbus enjoy gathering around and lighting off fireworks.  Whether it's sparklers, snakes, streamers, or rockets, the City of Columbus Fire Department wants you to enjoy them with the following safety tips.

1. Choose the right location

Keep fireworks outside. You should only use fireworks outdoors (including handheld sparklers).

Only use fireworks in open, flat, inflammable, and sturdy spaces. Some of this advice might seem obvious, but the statistics suggest otherwise.

If you’re going to set off legal fireworks, do it in a safe place.

How to choose a safe location for lighting fireworks:

• Scout out a location that’s hard and flat—like bare dirt, snow, concrete, sand, or stone.
• Avoid places with trees, grass, and buildings that could catch fire.
• Be considerate of noise pollution. Set off fireworks in a spot that won’t be too loud for neighbors, veterans, or pets.

2. Designate a safety perimeter

Use caution tape to create a lighting and launch zone away from spectators. Although consumer-grade fireworks are much smaller than the mortar shells used by professionals, they are still dangerous.

Fireworks manufacturers, recommend specific safety distances for ground- and air-based fireworks:

• Ground-based: If you have a ground-based firework like a fountain, spectating from at least 35 feet away is best.
• Aerial: For aerial fireworks, you’ll want everyone to move back to a distance around 150 feet.

3. Wait for appropriate weather conditions

A windy day is a recipe for disaster when lighting fireworks. If it’s incredibly windy, postpone your fireworks show until the next day. Strong winds can push sparks out of your safety perimeter and into neighboring houses, buildings, trees, and grass, which can cause fires.

Gusts may also endanger you and your guests. They might send sparks toward you, or fireworks might tip over and launch in your direction.

Use your best judgment - You can still have your show if it’s slightly windy—just stand upwind and ensure nothing flammable is downwind.

4. Plan for accidental fires

Keep water (or a fire extinguisher) nearby. If something goes wrong, you’ll want a hose or bucket of water close by to extinguish the blaze.

5. Get moving after lighting the fuse

Light it, then get as far away as you can. Tragedies happen when people get too close to exploding fireworks. One of the more grizzly incidents happened in 2015 when a man died after using his head as a firework launch pad. Other accidental injuries involve burns, lacerations, and loss of limbs.

Over half of the estimated 10,000 firework-related injuries in 2019 were burns on faces, hands, arms, and legs. This means many people are too close for comfort when it comes to fireworks. Do yourself a favor and stay far away!

Safely lighting fireworks

• Move to a safe distance after the fuse ignites.
• Don't hold the fireworks you're lighting (including smoke bombs and firecrackers).
• Don't trim or shorten fuses to speed up the lighting process.

6. Pace yourself by lighting one firework at a time

More fireworks aren't always better. Legal fuses must burn for at least three seconds, but that’s not a very long time on its own. If you’re lighting multiple fuses, you have an even smaller window to escape.

7. Supervise your kids

Don't underestimate something as small as a sparkler when it comes to your children. Sparklers caused 12% of reported injuries in 2019, making them more dangerous than firecrackers.

Sparklers often burn at over 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit and can cause third-degree burns. To put that in perspective, glass melts at 900 degrees.

While they’re a fun staple for 4th of July picnics, make sure you’re around to supervise if your kids will be dancing around with these types of fireworks. Of course, keep them completely away from larger fireworks too.

8. Ditch faulty fireworks

Duds always pose a risk. Sometimes fireworks don’t go off. The important thing to know here is that you should never try to relight or approach a failed firework.

Let duds sit for 5–10 minutes before you put them in a bucket of water. This can prevent injury from a delayed explosion and disarm the firework permanently so you can dispose of it.

9. Properly dispose of fireworks

Don’t throw used fireworks directly in the trash. After your fireworks or sparklers successfully go out in a blaze of glory, soak the charred remains in a bucket of water. This prevents used fireworks from igniting other garbage and creating a safety issue.

10. Avoid illegal fireworks

Don’t buy illegal fireworks. Legal fireworks reach store shelves after rigorous safety checks by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

The CPSC forbids fireworks that don't meet stringent regulations:

• Ground-based fireworks with more than 50 mg of powder
• Aerial fireworks with more than 130 mg of powder
• Fuses that burn for less than three seconds or longer than nine seconds

Only buy your fireworks from licensed dealers and choose models that are approved by the CPSC. Illegal fireworks don't meet safety standards because they’re often too large for use.

Purchasing illegal fireworks can also land you with a ticket, jail time, or serious injury. And if you think the cops or neighbors won’t notice, it’s kind of hard to disguise a “boom” that big.

Fireworks labeling requirements

The CPSC requires proper labeling on all consumer-grade fireworks. You should avoid products that don't have any labels or written safety warnings on the packaging.

11. Check your local laws

Not every state allows fireworks. Some restrict use to simple things like sparklers and firecrackers. Crossing state lines to bring them back to your home is also illegal. You can only set off state-approved fireworks within that state’s boundaries.

State Fireworks Regulation(s): doj.state.wi.us/sites/default/files/2014-news/fireworksadvisory-2014.pdf

State Fireworks Codes Referenced (ie NFPA 1123 / 1124) Neither, only NFPA 1

Wisconsin State Fireworks Requirements

• Public Display License Required (Yes or No) If Yes, is there a fee? No
• Commercial General Liability Insurance Coverage (Min per occurrence) N/A
• HazMat Transportation Insurance – DOT Compliant (1.4 – $1M / 1.3 $5M) N/A
• State Transportation Permit Required (Yes or No) NO
• Worker Compensation Insurance – Statutory or Other Statutory
• Import/Export License to bring products into the state (Yes or No) If Yes, is there a fee? No
• Wholesale License to purchase or sell products in the state (Yes or No) If Yes, is there a fee? No
• Registration of individuals authorized to represent License holder in the state (Yes or No) No
• Permit from Local AHJ for each display (Yes or No) – Fee dependent upon location. Yes. amount per municipality
• Permit Filing Period for Local: How many days prior? N/A
• Permit Filing Period for State: How many days? N/A
• State Bond Required (Yes or No) No

 State Pyrotechnic Operator Requirements

• Minimum Age: Operator 21, Assistant 18
• Minimum of Documented displays: N/A
• Minimum Experience: N/A
• Letters of Recommendation (Yes or No) If Yes, How many and from whom No
• Written Test Required (Yes or No) If Yes, how often? No
• Minimum Passing Score: N/A
• New Operator License Fee ($ Amount) N/A
• Renewal Operator License Fee ($ Amount) N/A
• Renewal Period for Licensed Operator N/A

Don't forget to check with local authorities as well since many cities and counties have additional rules, including maps where firework use is forbidden.

12. Sober is safer

Don’t play with fireworks if you’re under the influence. Lighting an explosive when you don’t have your wits about you is dangerous. When you drink, you lose the ability to judge situations wisely. Your reaction time slows down and your coordination lessens.

Don’t put yourself in a position where you could endanger yourself or others. If you plan on drinking, don’t light off fireworks. It's as simple as that.

13. Leave it to the professionals

If you can, attend a professional firework show instead of putting one on yourself. These shows use impressive pyrotechnics that you can’t buy in stores and are lightyears ahead of anything in your own show.

Professionals also know how to keep people safe and you won’t ever have to worry about sitting too close or getting a burn.

Final word

No matter what you decide to do, know the basics of firework safety. That way, nothing will get in the way of celebrating and you and your guests can remain safe. If you have your own tips about firework safety, please share with us in the comments section below.