Do you have a backyard party planned with plenty of fireworks for Fourth of July weekend? Understanding what is and is not permitted in Florida is your first step.
Since the beginning of the century, restrictions regulating fireworks have been significantly relaxed. Some fireworks are permitted everywhere, apart from Massachusetts, where it is unlawful to purchase, sell, or import consumer fireworks from other states. In many states, fireworks can be launched off the days before and following big holidays.
Florida is one of them.
On the Fourth of July, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day, Floridians are permitted to light off the types of fireworks sold at roadside shops, including Roman candles, aerial fireworks, fountains, and other novelty firecrackers. All loud or projectile fireworks are strictly prohibited on all other days of the year.
However, there are some areas where there are restrictions on fireworks. While the state of Florida permits the use of consumer fireworks, local governments have the authority to enact tighter regulations that take precedence over state law. Local fire officials may also forbid them when there is a severe drought or heavy winds.
According to the most recent available emergency department statistics gathered by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, fireworks injuries increased by 25 percent between 2006 and 2021.
Injuries from fireworks resulted in the treatment of around 11,500 patients in emergency rooms in 2021, compared to 15,600 patients in 2020 when pandemic restrictions forced many to stay at home. According to the Consumer Product Safety Association, nine individuals died from fireworks-related injuries in 2021, six of which were caused by improper usage of explosives and one by an issue with a mortar launch. In 2020, there were 26 reported fatalities from fireworks.
According to the research, the period from June 18 to July 18, 2021, saw 74% of all estimated injuries from fireworks.
There have always been fireworks at Independence Day events. John Adams wrote to his wife on July 4, 1776, the day after the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, telling her this occasion should be forever commemorated with pomp, games, bonfires, whistles, and illuminations.
On July 4, 1777, the first Independence Day fireworks show took place. The Smithsonian Institution asserts that they had only one color available back then, which was orange. The colors of the American flag, as well as other hues, are used to illuminate the sky today.
According to Scientific American, nearly a third of fireworks displays at the beginning of the century were professional shows. Since then, governments have gradually relaxed their restrictions on fireworks, in part to recover lost tax money from citizens who traveled across state borders to purchase fireworks in states with looser regulations but also due to inadequate enforcement.
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