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The Bexar County Fire Marshal's Office is stressing fireworks safety as the Fourth of July looms large this Saturday.
Drought conditions have eased enough to where aerial fireworks, such as rockets with sticks and missiles with fins can be used this holiday, so it's likely to be a busy night for the fire marshal and the county's Emergency Services Districts, and the sheriff's office responding to fireworks-related calls.
Fireworks are legal in unincorporated areas of the county, where entire neighborhoods often turn out to launch fireworks from streets, sidewalks, and driveways.
David Brewer, a chief fire inspector with the Bexar County Fire Marshal's Office, said residents need to be aware of their surroundings because firing fireworks too close to some locations is illegal and could lead to criminal penalties.
He said it's against Texas law to fire off fireworks within 600 feet of a hospital, daycare, school, or place of worship or within 100 feet of flammable gases or liquids or where fireworks are sold.
Brewer also urged residents to douse all fireworks, especially larger spent or used aerial mortars, in a five-gallon water bucket overnight and then toss them into a trash bin for disposal.
He said too often residents wanting to be good neighbors are eager to clean up fireworks debris quickly and toss what could be smoldering debris into trash bins, which are then pulled back inside a garage or up against the side of a house.
"About two hours after that's cleaned up, we're going to have a fire in that trash can, which leads to the house fire, whether it's inside the garage or it's on the outside of the house, where it comes up the side, goes into eaves and the soffit of the house and begins running," Brewer said.
Brewer said children should not be allowed to light fireworks and children and adults should never try to relight a "dud" firework.
"If you lit your firework and it did not shoot off, do not go back and try to relight it because that fuse is now a lot shorter and it could go off in your face, in your hand, anything like that," he said.
Other tips include carefully reading and following fireworks warning labels, especially those for Roman candles, which are never intended to be held by hand and are a frequent source of injuries to faces and hands from year-to-year when those warning labels are not followed.
Keep a bucket and water hose handy to douse trouble and make sure both children and pets are a safe distance away from where fireworks are being lit.
Illegal use or unsafe use of fireworks can be reported to a fireworks hotline on July 4 at 210-335 Fire (3473).
