Fireworks make the Fourth of July one of the more dangerous holidays we celebrate, even though we are in the rainy season. From brush fires to burns, the fire danger resulting from fireworks can create major problems.

The Cape Coral Fire Department says you should stick to going to a fireworks show and skip the backyard fireworks. But, if you want to light them yourself, officials say you need to make safety your first priority. CCFD says there are 10,000 and 20,000 fires caused by fireworks alone each year.

Officials say that if you come across a dud while lighting fireworks, you should wait 20 minutes to relight it and then put it in a bucket of water to avoid an unexpected fire. Kids love sparklers, but officials want parents to keep an eye on their children while they are lighting them, because sparklers can cause severe burns.

Cape Coral firefighters say they expect to be busy with calls on July Fourth.

“During the Fourth of July weekend, some fireworks-related, some just from there being extra activity around,” said Andrea Schuch with CCFD. “We have, in the past, run fireworks calls before: We’ve had boats on fire, a dock on fire, garbage cans on fire because of dud fireworks being disposed of without being put in water first.”

CCFD encourages people to go to the Red, White and Boom event instead of buying their own fireworks; it’s free, making attendance cheaper and safer than a backyard celebration. It also says you should light fireworks on a flat surface away from anything flammable.

“While we had a lot of rain, there’s always still the potential of a brush fire,” Schuch said. “Don’t want to light it in a grassy area or in an area with a lot of shrubs where some of the sparks could catch something on fire.”

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