BATON ROUGE – The final fireworks sales season of the year kicks off today, so the State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFM) wants to encourage all Louisiana residents to not only be safe when using fireworks, but knowledgeable when buying them.

More than 300 retail fireworks permits have been issued for this end-of-the-year season, as it is state law for wholesale and retail fireworks business operators to be appropriately licensed by the SFM, in the parishes and municipalities where they are legally allowed.  The sales season extends through 11:59 p.m. on January 1.

The SFM encourages, first and foremost, that families choose to enjoy public fireworks displays over creating their own. However, if purchasing fireworks is your preference, we advise families to be mindful of whether the stand they are purchasing from has been permitted by this office. You can request to see permitting information from any retail fireworks business you patron. The SFM encourages reporting any suspicious or illegal fireworks sales to 1-800-256-5452 or by visiting our website, lasfm.org.

In addition, we want everyone to enjoy fireworks in the safest way possible. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) showed in a 2022 report that fireworks-related injuries are on the rise across the country.

To avoid becoming part of this statistic, the SFM advises:

• Detonating devices at least 200 feet away from structures, vehicles and rubbish
• Never allowing children to light fireworks; instead, provide glow sticks and trinkets as alternatives
• Never operating fireworks while impaired
• Lighting devices one at a time and monitoring embers released with a bucket of water or hose nearby
• Discarding detonated items by wetting them down to prevent reignition and not disposing of them in a trash container immediately

Lastly, we encourage everyone to be mindful of the weather conditions in your area when considering whether to pop your own fireworks. Make sure you are aware of any burn bans established and take into account the dryness of your surroundings when choosing a safe location for popping fireworks.