FORT MYERS, Fla. — As Independence Day approaches, Fort Myers fire officials are warning people about the potentially deadly consequences of setting off fireworks in your neighborhood.
Fort Myers Fire Marshall Rick Reynolds shared a tragic story from New Year's Eve 2005 when neighborhood celebrations turned fatal.
Even though his memory is from New Year's Eve, he says this memory crosses his mind for the holiday.
Watch Fort Myers Community Correspondent Miyoshi Price explain the potential dangers, if you're not careful:
"The parents were out front barbecuing, and everything was smoky because everybody was setting off fireworks," Reynolds said. "What they didn't realize is the children were in the bedroom playing with fireworks, and the older child set off a firework, a mortar inside the bedroom."
The smoke from neighborhood fireworks prevented the parents from noticing their house was on fire until it was too late.
"By the time they got there, the whole back end of the house was well involved in flames, and they ended up carrying the two and a half year old child out of the fire, but it had died in the fire and had perished," Reynolds said.
Fire departments typically experience a surge in calls during holiday celebrations, such as the Fourth of July.
"We do generally get a lot of calls, a lot of times it's from small brush fires that are started from fireworks that are flying," Reynolds said. "The sparks are landing in piles of leaves or debris, and next thing you know, it catches something on fire."
Reynolds warns that homeowners may face legal consequences for damages caused by their use of fireworks.
"If you set off something in a firework and it damages your neighbor's house, you could be held liable because you were doing something that you shouldn't be doing," Reynolds said.
Instead of neighborhood displays, Reynolds strongly recommends attending professional fireworks shows.
Local celebrations include:
- July 4 in downtown Fort Myers at the Caloosa Sound Amphitheater at approximately 6 p.m., weather permitting
- Fort Myers Beach's Fourth of July fireworks show in Times Square. The fireworks show begins at approximately. 9 p.m., weather permitting
For those who still plan to celebrate at home, Reynolds advises that adults should handle the fireworks while children watch from a safe distance.
"The adults need to do the fireworks. If they're going to do fireworks, they need to do them safely away from their homes, away from combustibles, so that nothing will happen," Reynolds said.
He emphasized that consumer fireworks weren't designed for neighborhood use.
"They're designed to be set off in a big, wide field where there's nothing else around them," Reynolds said.
The fire marshal explained the specific concerns with neighborhood fireworks displays.
"The hot ashes could fall on your neighbor's car and ruin the paint job. Or it can land on the roof and set the leaves on fire that's on the roof," Reynolds said.
Reynolds also advises against mixing alcohol with fireworks and offers tips for pet owners to keep them safe during the celebrations.
"Pets do get anxious because of the fireworks. Play a little louder music on your TV or your stereo so that you can distract them and they won't hear the fireworks as much," Reynolds said.
The Fort Myers Police Department reminds residents that under Florida Statute 791.08, fireworks that launch or explode are only legal without a permit on three specific days: December 31, January 1, and July 4. On all other dates, only non-explosive novelties are permitted.
Police also warn that celebratory gunfire is both illegal and dangerous, as bullets fired into the air can travel long distances and cause serious injury or death when they fall. Fort Myers Police will have extra patrols across the city during the holiday.
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