Fire marshal warns of fireworks dangers amid Fort Myers drought

FORT MYERS, Fla. —

As New Year's Eve approaches, Fort Myers Fire Marshal Rick Reynolds is urging residents to exercise caution with fireworks to prevent fires during the ongoing drought.

"We have firework injuries every year from people doing stuff they shouldn't do," Reynolds said.

He warned that even sparklers can pose significant fire risks.

"If it lands in your bushes and burns somebody's structure, you know, there's damage to the structure, and they find out that you're the one that did it. You can be held liable. And, you know, the consequence could very well be that you get sued and had to pay for that damage," Reynolds said.

At Phantom Fireworks, safety is a top priority alongside celebrating the new year.

Chris Cerenelli, from Phantom Fireworks communications, explained their safety guidelines known as the ABCd of firework safety.

"A is, of course, as I mentioned, adults only, kids under no circumstance should ever be near fireworks, right? B is brace your product to make sure that it's stable and not tipping over. And if it does happen, it's away from your audience. C kind of speaks for itself. It's common sense, right? D is distance. We want a distance of at least 50 feet away from your audience. For the ground-based items, 150 feet for the aerial items," Cerenelli said.

Reynolds also advised having a water source readily available.

"Definitely have a garden hose available or some source of water to be able to put fire out if we do see one. You know, just be careful," he said.

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