Officials stress firework safety for celebrations

Residents in parts of St. Mary Parish may shoot fireworks to celebrate the new year, thanks to a law the parish council passed this summer.
But officials encourage people to take safety precautions to make sure no one gets hurt.
In June, the St. Mary Parish Council adopted a new parish ordinance regulating the use of fireworks in the unincorporated areas of the parish, according to a St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office news release.
The new parish law allows certain fireworks to be sold and set off during certain times of the year, including the New Year holiday. According to the ordinance, fireworks may be used, set off or shot from Dec. 15 to Jan. 1 from the hours of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Additional hours of fireworks use will be allowed from 10 p.m. Dec. 31 to 1 a.m. Jan. 1.
The use and sale of fireworks are still banned within the limits of Morgan City, Patterson and Berwick.
Billy Burley, owner of Burley Fireworks, recently set up a fireworks tent off of U.S. 90 near Southeast Boulevard in Bayou Vista. Burley typically sells fireworks in Thibodaux. But when he learned that St. Mary Parish is now allowing fireworks to be used and sold, Burley moved his business to Bayou Vista because there are few competitors in the area.
Burley’s brother, Charles Burley, who came from Tennessee to help him sell fireworks, said they have sparklers and lots of other fireworks that are safer for kids to use.
They always recommend adult supervision with any fireworks, Charles Burley said. Billy Burley cautions customers to use extra care with some of the larger fireworks.
Amelia Fire Chief Carl McAllister’s main advice to people is to not light fireworks while they’re holding the explosive object because some fireworks “have fast fuses.”
For those who live where fireworks aren’t allowed and plan to shoot fireworks elsewhere, “respect other people’s property,” McAllister said.
“Pick your garbage up and bring it home with you,” he said.
Bayou Vista Fire Chief Victor Pisani encouraged firework users to make sure they aren’t near houses when shooting fireworks and to avoid firecrackers that shoot high in the air due to dry conditions.
This past Fourth of July, the first holiday since the parish firework ban had been lifted, was fortunately uneventful in terms of fireworks-related incidents.
Bayou Vista and Amelia had no incidents relating to firework use around that holiday, Pisani and McAllister said.
Some fireworks remain prohibited across St. Mary Parish. The parish ordinance lists the following types of fireworks that are still off-limits even with the ordinance in effect:
—Cherry bombs.
—Tubular salutes.
—Two-inch American salutes.
—Firecrackers with casings the external dimensions of which exceed 1½ inches in length or one-fourth of an inch in diameter.
—Repeating bombs.
—Aerial bombs.
—Torpedoes which exceed three-eighths of an inch in diameter.
—Roman candles larger than ten balls.
—Sky rockets larger than six ounces.
The ordinance prohibits igniting fireworks within 1,000 feet of a church, hospital, school or public building.
The St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office also offers these safety tips from the National Council on Fireworks Safety for the responsible use of fireworks this New Year’s holiday:
—Do not consume alcohol prior to or during the handling of fireworks.
—Designate a responsible adult to supervise all firework activities for your family. Never give fireworks to children.
—Read the cautionary labels and performance descriptions before igniting.
—Always have a bucket of water and a water hose that is turned on and ready to go nearby.
—Wear safety glasses when shooting fireworks.
—Light one firework at a time and then quickly move away.
—Only use fireworks outdoors in a clear area; away from buildings and vehicles.
—Never relight a “dud” firework. Wait 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water.
—Never carry fireworks in your pocket or shoot them into metal or glass containers.
—Do not experiment with homemade or attempt to alter or modify fireworks. Use fireworks only in the manner for which they were intended.
—Dispose of spent fireworks by wetting them down and place in a metal trash can away from any building or combustible materials until the next day.