LEHI – Fireworks are now on sale in the state of Utah. Select vendors started opening firework tents Tuesday, 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 from Some Dude's Fireworks stand outside Lehi High School.
"I eat, sleep and breathe this next month," Willes said. He's been selling fireworks in Lehi for nine years.
"We have all these for only $20, these are great 500-gram cakes," he said.
His stand opened Tuesday, 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.
"Just use common sense," said Kelly Bird, public information officer with the Unified Fire Authority. "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."
Every year, crews with the Unified Fire Authority and most every other fire agency sees 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."
So if you buy them, be smart. And if you shop early, you could save money, too.
"You can get that whole box at Some Dude's Fireworks for $180," Willes said.
While you can buy fireworks now, you can't light them off until two days before the Fourth of July through one day after.
To find rules, restrictions and advice from firefighters, just click on this link to the Unified fire fireworks information page.
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Brian Carlson
