Fireworks Safety: What the Experts Say, Plus a Checklist

We sell fireworks because we love a good show. We also want every customer to get home from the Fourth or New Year's with all ten fingers. This guide pulls together advice from the people who track fireworks injuries and fires: the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), which runs the State Fire Marshal's Office. Read it before the season, share it with whoever is lighting, and print the checklist at the bottom.

Why safety matters

The numbers are real. For 2025, the CPSC received reports of at least 15 deaths and an estimated 13,000 emergency room injuries tied to fireworks. People between 15 and 24 had the largest share of injuries. Hands and fingers were hurt most often, followed by the head, face and ears, and burns were the most common type of injury.

The CPSC also notes that many of the worst incidents involved items that tipped over, malfunctioned, or were used too close to people. Most of those are preventable with a little planning.

NFPA, the national fire safety group, takes a stronger line than we do. Its position is that people should leave fireworks to trained professionals and enjoy public displays. TDI's State Fire Marshal has made the same suggestion. We think that is worth saying plainly. If a professional show is an option for you, it is a safe and easy way to celebrate.

Check the law first

In Texas, consumer fireworks can only be sold during set seasons, and the rules for using them come from your city and county. Most Texas cities do not allow fireworks inside city limits at all. Counties can restrict some items, or cancel a season, during drought. TDI also points out that even more places prohibit fireworks during burn bans.

Before you buy, check the rules for the exact place you plan to shoot. Call your city, look up your county's current orders, and ask the landowner if it is not your property. Never assume a park, lake area or other public land is allowed. If you are not sure, the answer is no.

Before you light anything

Buy only legal consumer fireworks from a licensed seller. The CPSC warns against homemade or altered devices, and against items wrapped in brown paper, which is often a sign they were made for professional displays.

Read every label. The directions and warnings are written for that specific item. Pick a flat, open spot away from houses, cars, trees and dry grass, and use a hard, level surface for cakes and fountains. Put a garden hose with the water on, or a full bucket, within reach. TDI also recommends eye protection for the person lighting.

Choose one sober adult to light everything. Alcohol and fireworks do not mix, and the CPSC says not to use fireworks while drinking or using drugs. Keep children back, and do not let young children handle any fireworks, sparklers included. The CPSC and TDI both say sparklers can burn at about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

While you light

Light one item at a time, then move away quickly. Never put any part of your body over a firework while lighting it. Do not point or throw fireworks at anyone. Do not carry fireworks in your pocket, and do not light them inside a container like a metal can or glass bottle.

Keep the audience well back, behind a line you set before dark, and farther away than any distance on the label. Keep pets inside. If the wind picks up and starts carrying sparks toward people or anything that can burn, stop.

Duds, cleanup and storage

If something does not go off, do not relight it and do not walk up to it right away. The CPSC and TDI both advise against relighting or picking up a dud. Wait, then soak it with water.

When the show ends, douse every used item with water before you throw it away. Spent fireworks can stay hot and start a fire in a trash can. Walk the yard the next morning for debris, especially if you have kids or pets.

Store unused fireworks in a cool, dry place, out of reach of children, and away from anything that can ignite them.

Fireworks safety checklist

Use this list on show night.

1. I checked my city and county rules, and fireworks are legal where I am shooting. 2. There is no burn ban or drought order that covers my items. 3. Every item is a legal consumer firework from a licensed seller, in its original packaging. 4. I read the label on every item. 5. My launch area is flat, open and clear of houses, cars, trees and dry grass. 6. Cakes and fountains have a hard, level surface to sit on. 7. A hose is on and ready, or a full bucket of water is in reach. 8. One sober adult is lighting, wearing eye protection. 9. The audience line is set, farther back than any label distance. 10. Kids are supervised and not handling fireworks, sparklers included. 11. Pets are inside. 12. I will light one item at a time and move away right away. 13. I will not relight duds. I will wait, then soak them. 14. Every used item gets soaked in water before it goes in the trash.

Questions before the season

Call the store at (972) 977-5193 if you want help picking items that fit your space. We are at 5159 I-30 in Caddo Mills, at Exit 83. Reserve online and pay at pickup. No shipping, local pickup only. Store hours change by season, so see this season's hours on our Visit page.

Sources: CPSC: Fireworks Information Center · CPSC: Fireworks Safety Tips as America Turns 250 (2026) · NFPA: Fireworks · Texas Department of Insurance: How to stay safe when using fireworks · Texas Department of Insurance: Fireworks Safety Fact Sheet

This isn't legal advice. Check your city and county rules. Never use fireworks where they are banned, and follow any county burn ban.

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