In Florida, Drought Raises Dangers of Fireworks on Fourth

The Fourth of July in central Florida is hot-hot-hot. This year's drought continues through what should be the rainy season, making many standard home-based holiday events hazardous. Florida prohibits the retail sale of most fireworks to consumers.

The Florida department of Financial Services, Division of the Fire Marshall, publishes a "Fireworks and Sparkler Enforcement" guide that specifies state-wide permissions and prohibitions for different types of boom-pow and crackle-crackle-crackle devices. It contains a link to the list of approved fireworks and provides pictures of prohibited ones. The Penalties section is illustrated with a set of handcuffs (assuming they catch you before you blow your hands off with a prohibited device gone terribly wrong). The related statutes describe fines that you'll need those hands to write a check to pay for - on top of any property damage your incendiary devices cause to neighbors' property, not to mention your own.

One loophole through which forbidden fireworks can be purchased is for " agricultural purposes" of deterring harmful birds from crops. Many roadside purveyors of the forbidden devices make you sign a statement that you're using them for this agricultural purpose. Don't be fooled. That statement protects them, not you. They'll swear you lied to them, and they'll win. You set those fireworks off in your backyard or in the street at 10:00 PM, and your neighbor who has to get up Thursday morning at 5:00 AM to go to work will call the police on you in a heartbeat.

Additional restrictions vary by county and may affect public parks and beaches as well as your back yard. These vary from year to year and from season to season (4^th of July vs New Year). Fireworks are typically prohibited by counties during droughts, except for officially permitted public displays whose safety precautions are examined by local fire authorities before the show starts. Some municipalities within counties that allow fireworks may enforce their own restrictions within their geographic boundaries.

For an efficient search on your local situation, Google "county name" + 2007 + fireworks. The first five hits should include either a local news media recent report or the latest county commission meeting minutes that will give you the facts. If your county doesn't restrict fireworks, repeat the search with your town's name instead of the county.

Cookouts using anything that might be construed as an "open fire" may give off sparks that ignite tinder-dry shrubbery. Think fire pits, hibachis, and even covered charcoal grills (they're open when you first light them). If your area is experiencing a drought, the county or town may also prohibit open fires. Check the Florida Division of Forestry "burn ban" map. The same fines and payments for property damage may ensue if your flame's enthusiasm ignites your palm tree or your neighbor's oleanders. And oleander smoke is hazardous to your health.

Be aware of not only your local restrictions, but of any neighbors who may be bothered by the smoke and/or noise that your outdoor activities generate. If you think there aren't enough police on duty on the holiday to hassle every household that wants to light up the evening, think again. They'll respond quickly to a complaint.

And then, as your beer-besotted guests dash for their cars to avoid the police who knock on the door, the officers stationed at the ends of the street will arrest them for DUI. Break a local rule, and you risk having the "heat" toast your party.

Sources:
- Don Brown, Southwest Florida Online - Sunday Morning News. URL: http://swflorida.blogspot.com/2007/06/consumer-fireworks-not-legal-in-florida.html
- Florida Department of Financial Services, Fireworks and Sparkler Enforcement. URL: http://www.fldfs.com/sfm/pdf/Fireworks_Enforcement_Guide_2004_brochure.pdf
- Florida Senate, 2006 Florida Statutes. URL: http://www.flsenate.gov/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0775/Sec083.HTM
- Florida Division of Forestry, Wildfire 2007 Map. URL: http://www.fl-dof.com/wildfire2007/map_images/dof_burn_ban_map.pdf
- Florida Poison Information Center - Tampa. URL: http://www.poisoncentertampa.org/informational/poisonplants.html