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Neiva Garcia goes through her inventory of fireworks at the Alamo Fireworks stand she operates with her cousin, Crystal Casanova, on Walzem Road.

Crystal Casanova looks over her inventory of fireworks at the Alamo Fireworks stand she and her cousin, Neiva Garcia, run on Walzem Road.

Cousins Crystal Casanova and Neiva Garcia sell fireworks at an Alamo Fireworks stand on Walzem Road.

The July 4 holiday is approaching amid a nationwide fireworks shortage, but local vendors and public safety authorities said they were more concerned about people handling them correctly than their availability.

Back yard fireworks stocks are about 30 percent below normal because the product has been hard to import and demand is soaring, according to the American Pyrotechnics Association.

“Retailers sold so much last year, they depleted their stocks and haven’t been able to catch up,” said Julie Heckman, the association’s executive director.

Fireworks production was delayed during the coronavirus pandemic’s early months as Chinese plants shut down, but more importantly, the pandemic created a ripple effect that disrupted the supply chain, Heckman said.

Many fireworks containers that were ordered never got packed and some were lost in accidents, falling from overloaded ships into the ocean, she said. Many more are languishing in California ports waiting to be unloaded.

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Locally, however, supply is not a problem, said Chelsea Bode, a spokeswoman for Alamo Fireworks. There are no shortages either here or at the company’s Houston locations, she said.

Sales did well last year, Bode said, as fireworks provided an outdoor option for gathering that allowed people to social distance.

The consumer fireworks industry in the United States nearly doubled its revenues during the pandemic, rising to $1.9 billion in 2020 from $1 billion the year before.

“We weren't sure what to expect when Covid first hit. We were very fortunate,” Bode said. “People were looking for anything they could do to blow off steam.”

On Tuesday, fireworks booths around Bexar County appeared fully stocked. Early bird customers trickled in periodically to load up for the Independence Day weekend or search for a specific type of firework they were after.

Daniel Gomez, 58, had purchased some sparklers from Alamo Fireworks in the shape of a sword to use with his children, ages 5 and 7. He said every year, his neighbors gather together and put on a little show in their West Bexar County neighborhood near Sea World.

He wasn’t worried about a shortage, but he had missed out on the fireworks he wanted last year because he waited until too close to the holiday, when sellers say business ramps up.

“We had to settle for seconds,” Gomez said. “Figure we’d get an early start and avoid the crowd.”

Bode said safety is the main concern. She asks that people who buy fireworks be responsible and understand the safety tips that go along with handling explosives.

Fireworks are illegal to use, sell and store within San Antonio city limits, but people may use them in parts of Bexar County. Usage within San Antonio can result in a citation for a Class C misdemeanor, which can carry a fine of up to $2,000.

Bexar County Fire Marshal Chris Lopez said enough rain has fallen lately that that no drought-related restrictions have been imposed on the sale of any particular kind of fireworks in the county.

But he said people using fireworks should be mindful of undergrowth like wild sunflowers and other shrubbery that could provide kindling for exploded fireworks.

“If we have a very busy season with use of fireworks, like mortars and other ground fireworks, we could see quite a few grass fires,” he said.

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Lopez advises that anyone popping fireworks take proper safety measures, which include keeping on hand something to extinguish flames — at least a 5-gallon bucket of water and preferably a fire extinguisher or garden hose.

He also cautions against using fireworks in windy conditions, which can can fuel a heat source and spread a small fire into something bigger.

People must also remember to water down their used fireworks before throwing them in a trash can next to the wall of a house or garage. Because many consumer fireworks consist of cardboard, the material may continue to burn and smolder in a disposal bin even after they are exploded.

Lopez said people should not drink and use fireworks, and make sure any children using them are supervised by a responsible adult.

“Responsibility all the way around is what we encourage from folks. If you're going to go out, you're going to use fireworks, please use em' properly,” he said.