Fireworks illegal in some parts of North Alabama
Through early august.
Ahead of the holiday weekend - huntsville fire and rescue wants to make sure you and your loved ones stay safe.
The department says burns account for 2 out of every 5 emergency room visits around the 4th of july.
1 out of 3 of those victims are under the age of 15.
And for every e-r visit related to fireworks - a quarter of them involved a sparkler!
Waay-31s alexis scott shares the the warnings from local first responders!
The biggest takeaway from huntsville law enforcement is that shooting fireworks is illegal in the city... and also to remember fireworks arent something you should buy if you have no experience with them, no matter how small.
Dan wilkerson, huntsville fire marshall "they're a different product than what you see a a professional show.
They can be unpredictable.
A lot of people label them as safe, which they're not safe.
Nationally , fireworks has caused over 19,000 fires annually," and that's not all huntsville fire chief dan wilkerson had to say about the dangers of store-bought fireworks.
He said they lead to thousands of injuries around the holiday.
Even though coronavirus cancelled a lot of celebrations holiday plans - wilkerson said there are still professional shows in madison county they encourage you attend, safely.
Huntsville police are also preparing for more calls because of fireworks or shots fired reports.
They're asking you to help them as much as you can if you call.
Lt.
Michael johnson, huntsville police department "when you call about someone using fireworks in your neighborhood or in other areas of the city, please call with a little specificity of what you're seeing," lieutenant michael johnson told me on average - the police department screens an average of nearly 900 calls every 24 hours during 4th of july weekend.
He said the more you can see... or describe what you're hearing..
The faster they can come out and inspect.
He also told me they also expect to respond to celebratory gunshots - which can carry a hefty penalty.
Lt.
Michael johnson, huntsville police department "shooting a firearm or weapon in the city limits is agaisnt the law... it's a misdemeanor.
If a bullet or a round enters into a vehicle or a home, that's a felony," if you get caught with fireworks over the weekend... huntsville police can fine you 100- dollars for your first offense... that can increase - and lead to an arrest if you're caught again.
Reporting in huntsville, alexis scott waay-31 news.
Some other holiday weekend notes - huntsville fire and rescue says you should always have knowledge of the tools you're using when grilling outside to prevent a fire.
And huntsville animal services told us if you have an animal who's afraid of fireworks... put them in a crate over the weekend or get them used to the noise by playing the sound of a firework and awarding them a treat.
They told us they get hundreds of calls over the weekend from lost animals because of the jarring noise of a firework.
You can find a complete list of firework celebrations happening in your area on our website waay-tv-dot- com.
Just click on the