Fireworks now on sale in Utah, firefighters warn to light them safely

LEHI — Fireworks are now on sale in Utah. Select vendors started opening firework tents Tuesday morning, excited to sell them for the upcoming holiday. But firefighters want you to be smart when you light them.

Few are more excited about shooting fireworks on the Fourth of July than Shane Willes at the Some Dude’s Fireworks stand outside Lehi High School.

“I eat, sleep and breathe [them] this next month,” Willes said.

He’s been selling fireworks in Lehi for nine years. His stand opened Tuesday morning, and over the next week and a half he expects to sell more than $100,000 in fireworks.

“The busiest day by far, people wait until the Fourth of July,” he said.

Light fireworks safely, please, officials ask

When you light them on July Fourth, firefighters want you to do it safely.

“Just use common sense … making sure you’re away from buildings, away from trees, and if you are in a restricted area, that you’re not lighting them off,” said Kelly Bird, public information officer with the Unified Fire Authority.

Crews with the Unified Fire Authority said every year, they see firework-related fires and injuries

“We see people being silly trying to hold it in their hand, things like that,” Bird said. “That’s going to cause both fire emergencies and medical emergencies.”

Shop for fireworks early for best prices

So if you buy them, be smart. And if you shop early, you could save money too.

You can buy fireworks starting Tuesday, but you can’t light them off until two days before July Fourth and then through July 5.

To find rules, restrictions and advice from firefighters, visit the Unified Fire Authority fireworks information page.