TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas — June 24 kicks off firework sales for the Fourth of July holiday.
Fireworks can be sold from June 24 until July 5 at midnight. But as much fun as they are to watch, it is also crucial to watch out for your safety.
"They are explosives. They're made with gunpowder,” said Suzan Jimenez, co-manager of the American Fireworks store in Austin. “They will light on fire."
Firework sellers said since this year has been drier than previous years, they are expecting to sell even more fireworks. The bottle rocket fireworks are also back this year, after not being allowed because of burn bans the past few years.
But even though more fireworks are allowed, Battalion Chief Robert Ortiz with Travis County Emergency Services District No. 2 said folks still need to be careful. Ortiz emphasized not to hold or lean over a firework while lighting it.
Once it ignites, Ortiz said to stay about 50 feet away because wind can pose one of the greatest threats to safety.
"Once the firework gets into the air, the direction of travel is unknown,” Ortiz said. “So if it's going to catch a field on fire or land in a neighbor’s yard that hasn’t been watered in a while, rooftops that have debris on it already, those types of issues could be very dangerous.”
It is also important to make sure the surrounding areas are free of debris or overhanging trees that could ignite and to never light a firework on any type of grass, as a single spark can have devastating effects.
"We have seen people lose their entire field with just one sparkler that goes off," Jimenez said.
Safely getting rid of fireworks is just as important as lighting them, and it is important to wait before throwing them straight in the trash.
"Let the fireworks sit for about five to 10 minutes after you've ignited the firework and then put them inside of a 5-gallon bucket of water, let them soak overnight and then the next day we can discard them,” Ortiz said.
With a "dud" that doesn't light, Ortiz said to let fireworks like those sit even longer – around 10-20 minutes – just to make sure it doesn't go off.
People are also reminded to keep their children safe around fireworks. Sparklers are not always the best option for kids to enjoy because they can burn up to 2000 degrees, which is hot enough to melt metal.
Keep in mind that fireworks are legal in Travis County, they just have to be far enough away from any city limits. That means fireworks can be lit in unincorporated Travis County areas that are outside of city limits.
However, Travis County does have some physical limitations on where you can shoot them, like public roadways or on school district property.