Escambia County and the City of Pensacola wish residents and visitors a safe, fun July Fourth with friends and family, and remind everyone to follow these fireworks safety tips to make the most out of their holiday. Remember: If you spot a brush or wildfire or if someone is injured, call 911. View this safety message from Escambia County's Fire Chief Jason Catrambone and EMS Chief David Torsell.

Remember, discharging fireworks is illegal in City of Pensacola limits, per city ordinance, other than permitted public fireworks displays. Sparklers are allowed.

City of Pensacola ordinances prohibiting fireworks in city limits are not impacted by the 2020 amendment to Florida Statute 791.08, which made the use of certain fireworks legal in the state of Florida on select holidays including the Fourth of July. The state law does not invalidate or supersede local regulations for the use of fireworks. To view City of Pensacola ordinances prohibiting fireworks within city limits, click here.

The safest way to enjoy fireworks with your family is to participate in one of the following public fireworks displays:

Sertoma's 4th of July Fireworks 2021 - The 2021 Celebration is on, but it will look a bit different this year. Rather than a full-day event, it will start at 4:30 p.m. with live music and food trucks. Come out with your blankets and lawn chairs and get ready for a fantastic fireworks show over the bay beginning at 9 p.m. Bring a radio and tune to Cat Country 98.7 for the special Fourth of July music to accompany the fireworks!

Pensacola Beach 4th of July Fireworks - Let Pensacola Beach get you into the patriotic spirit this Independence Day. With the sugar-white sands of Pensacola Beach under your feet, keep your eyes focused on the night skies this 4th of July for a dazzling fireworks display along the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk and Santa Rosa Sound. The show starts at 8:30 p.m. so arrive early to reserve your spot on the sand! The best viewing spots are from the Portofino Boardwalk or Quietwater Beach. 

If you decide to celebrate the Fourth of July at home with sparklers, it’s important to know sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees - as hot as a blowtorch and hot enough to melt some metals. Here are some helpful tips to minimize your chance of accident or injury:

• Only purchase state-approved sparklers from licensed vendors.
• Prior to use, be sure to read and follow all warnings and instructions.
• Only light sparklers on a flat, smooth surface away from combustible materials. Do not light them on grass.
• Keep a fire extinguisher or water hose on hand for emergencies.
• Never have any portion of your body directly over the sparkler when lighting the fuse. 
• Never allow children to play with or use any sparkler or novelty device without supervision.
• Do not use any unwrapped item that may have been tampered with.
• Light only one item at a time and never attempt to re-light a “dud.”
• Discard all products safely. Submerge used and “dud” sparklers in water prior to placing in household trash receptacles.

Fireworks and Pets

Unlike people, pets don’t associate the noise, flashes and burning smell of fireworks with celebration. As a result, fireworks can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety for some pets. Your pet may display unexpected behavior while trying to escape from the loud noises including jumping a fence to find safety, running away or “flight from fright,” destruction of yard or household items, and biting. Please follow these tips:

• Do not take your pet to fireworks displays.
• Do not leave your pet in the car while you watch a fireworks display. In only a matter of minutes, the heat in a car can cause serious health problems or even death. A stressed animal can also cause major damage to the interior of your car.
• Be mindful of hot asphalt and sand. Keeping your dog on hot asphalt or sand even for short periods of time can cause severe burns to the pads of their feet.
• Never leave pets unattended outside, not even in a fenced yard or on a chain, if you are near a fireworks display or if your neighbors are lighting small fireworks. They may try to run away or become tangled up in their chain.
• Keep pets indoors. Turn on the TV or radio as a distraction and close the curtains.
• Provide a pet bed or crate in a quiet place to create a small den-like atmosphere and a sense of security.
• If you must be outside with your pet, keep the pet on a leash or in a carrier at all times.
• Make sure your pet has proper identification tags with current information in case they run away.
• If your pet often becomes stressed during periods of loud noise like thunderstorms, check with your veterinarian to see if a sedative is appropriate for your pet.
• Shelters often see an increase in lost pets after fireworks displays. If your pet runs away, post and search for lost pets at myescambia.com/animalshelter or call (850) 595-3075. 

Fireworks-Related Injuries

• Fireworks started an estimated 19,500 fires in 2018, including 1,900 structure fires, 500 vehicle fires, and 17,100 outside and other fires. These fires caused five deaths, 46 civilian injuries, and $105 million in direct property damage.  
• In 2018, U.S. hospital emergency rooms treated an estimated 9,100 people for fireworks related injuries; half of those injuries were to the extremities and 34% were to the eye or other parts of the head. Children younger than 15 years of age accounted for more than one-third (36%) of the estimated 2018 injuries. These injury estimates were obtained or derived from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s 2018 Fireworks Annual Report by Yongling Tu and Jason Ng.

Source: NFPA’s Fireworks Fires and Injuries report