Cape Coral Fire: Soak leftover fireworks overnight to avoid fires, home damage

Fire officials are reminding residents to take precautions when disposing of leftover fireworks to avoid fires and other hazards.

Fireworks can remain hot long after use, according to fire officials. To safely dispose of them, soak both used and unused fireworks in a bucket of water overnight. Once fully saturated, place them in a plastic bag before adding them to household trash. Officials also warn against relighting fireworks that didn’t go off and burning leftover fireworks in fire pits or backyard burn piles.

Andrea Schuch of the Cape Coral Fire Department explained the dangers of improper disposal.

"Another thing that we've seen before is people who dispose of their fireworks and say they're smoldering, and you don't really notice that your trash is on fire. And then, you put them out on the side of the road and then Waste Pro comes and picks up your trash. You can actually set the trash inside, and the waste pickup truck on fire. Then that is a huge to do because their policy is that they dump their load, and then that way the firefighters have access to it and can put out the fire. As you can imagine, a garbage fire in the middle of the road is very unpleasant," Schuch said.

Taking a few extra minutes to properly dispose of fireworks can help prevent fires, injuries, and damage to your home.