Handy Tips to Stay Safe Using Fireworks

Fireworks are a blast.......literally and figuratively!

I think for most of us who grew up in the '70s, we have fond memories of the Fourth of July holiday. It was a time for sparklers, smoke bombs, bottle rockets, and the beloved Black-Cat firecracker. They used to come in packs of 100, 250, 500, and up. In our family, we would undo the strings so we could pop them one at a time because we didn't have much money.

Nowadays, you can buy many more fireworks products from what seems like a million companies. As a kid, there was nothing more exciting to me than the week leading up to the fourth of July. I was lucky. I had older sisters so there was always fun to be had with fireworks. I remember us saving the glass Coke bottles instead of turning them in for a refund. We needed something to use to shoot off the bottle rockets.

Surprisingly, we never burned anything down! It was a miracle. We always had tons of friends around so invariably the dudes would start having bottle rocket wars where they would aim them at each other. Hilarious that no one ever caught fire. It was a great neighborhood, and everyone loved the fireworks. We took chances, but we didn't go to extremes. I think that's why no one ever got hurt.

Fast forward to June 2022, anyone who saw the story about how four young people died while putting together homemade fireworks were probably floored by the news. Terrell Cooks and Seneca Mahan have been charged with murder in the death of four people at a home near Black Jack, Missouri.

You need to be smart when purchasing fireworks and when using them. The Louisiana State Fire Marshal's Office and the Lafayette Police Department along with countless other agencies will tell you to go and watch a professional fireworks show. They think it's a better idea than popping your own. Click here for a list of local events this year. While I appreciate that point of view, I LOVE shooting off fireworks.

In the unincorporated areas of Lafayette Parish, use can use fireworks, but you can't pop anything within the city limits of Lafayette. However, it is NOT illegal to purchase fireworks. And if you're smart and safe about it, you likely won't have any problems.