Celebrate July Fourth Safely in Escambia County and the City of Pensacola

Escambia County and the City of Pensacola wish residents and visitors a safe, fun July Fourth with friends and family, and remind everyone to follow these fireworks safety tips to make the most out of their holiday. Remember: If you spot a brush or wildfire or if someone is injured, call 911. 

The safest way to enjoy fireworks with your family is to participate in one of the following public fireworks displays:

Sertoma's 4th of July Fireworks – The annual Sertoma 4^th of July Fireworks celebration is the biggest and brightest firework show on the Gulf Coast. The event begins at 4:30 pm in Seville Square, right in the heart of downtown Pensacola, and prides itself on being fun for the whole family. Face painting, pony rides, live entertainment, and inflatables are just some of the pre-show activities to be enjoyed before the fireworks display over Pensacola Bay at 9 pm. Don’t forget to bring along a radio to tune into the choreographed music broadcast on Cat Country 98.7 FM. Please do not bring your dogs or any of your own fireworks.

Pensacola Beach 4th of July Fireworks - Let Pensacola Beach get you into the patriotic spirit this Independence Day. With the sugar-white sands of Pensacola Beach under your feet, keep your eyes focused on the night skies this 4th of July for a dazzling fireworks display along the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk and Santa Rosa Sound. The show starts at 8:30 p.m. so arrive early to reserve your spot on the sand! The best viewing spots are from the Portofino Boardwalk or Quietwater Beach. 

If you decide to celebrate the Fourth of July at home with sparklers, it’s important to know sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees - as hot as a blowtorch and hot enough to melt some metals. Here are some helpful tips to minimize your chance of accident or injury:

• Only purchase state-approved sparklers from licensed vendors.
• Prior to use, be sure to read and follow all warnings and instructions.
• Only light sparklers on a flat, smooth surface away from combustible materials. Do not light them on grass.
• Keep a fire extinguisher or water hose on hand for emergencies.
• Never have any portion of your body directly over the sparkler when lighting the fuse. 
• Never allow children to play with or use any sparkler or novelty device without supervision.
• Do not use any unwrapped item that may have been tampered with.
• Light only one item at a time and never attempt to re-light a “dud.”
• Discard all products safely. Submerge used and “dud” sparklers in water prior to placing in household trash receptacles.

"Escambia County Fire Rescue wants our citizens to have a very happy and safe 4th of July and remember that fireworks should be handled by adults," said Fire and Life Safety Specialist Ray Melton. "Children who use sparklers should hold them away from their body and away from anything that can catch fire, and the use of sparklers should be used with adult supervision. Sparklers and other fireworks will remain hot after use and should be placed in a bucket of water and never discarded in plastic trash bins. Sparklers reach a temperature of 2,100 degrees and can cause serious burns. Remember, it takes just one bad choice to cause a major disaster. Stay cool, Escambia!"

Fireworks and Pets

Unlike people, pets don’t associate the noise, flashes and burning smell of fireworks with celebration. As a result, fireworks can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety for some pets. Your pet may display unexpected behavior while trying to escape from the loud noises including jumping a fence to find safety, running away or “flight from fright,” destruction of yard or household items, and biting. Please follow these tips:

• Do not take your pet to fireworks displays.
• Do not leave your pet in the car while you watch a fireworks display. In only a matter of minutes, the heat in a car can cause serious health problems or even death. A stressed animal can also cause major damage to the interior of your car.
• Be mindful of hot asphalt and sand. Keeping your dog on hot asphalt or sand even for short periods of time can cause severe burns to the pads of their feet.
• Never leave pets unattended outside, not even in a fenced yard or on a chain, if you are near a fireworks display or if your neighbors are lighting small fireworks. They may try to run away or become tangled up in their chain.
• Keep pets indoors. Turn on the TV or radio as a distraction and close the curtains.
• Provide a pet bed or crate in a quiet place to create a small den-like atmosphere and a sense of security.
• If you must be outside with your pet, keep the pet on a leash or in a carrier at all times.
• Make sure your pet has proper identification tags with current information in case they run away.
• If your pet often becomes stressed during periods of loud noise like thunderstorms, check with your veterinarian to see if a sedative is appropriate for your pet.
• Shelters often see an increase in lost pets after fireworks displays. If your pet runs away, post and search for lost pets at  MyEscambia.com/AnimalWelfare or call (850) 595-3075. 

Fireworks and House Fires

As numerous Floridians choose to purchase their own fireworks, the number of residential structure fires have increased during holidays that are often celebrated with fireworks. 

According to the National Fire Prevention Association, an estimated 19,500 fires started by fireworks were reported to local fire departments in the United States in 2018. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that 9,100 consumer fireworks-related injuries were seen in U.S. hospital emergency departments in 2018.

Between 2017 and 2021, Escambia County experienced six residential structure fires caused by fireworks. Four of those fires were caused by fireworks that were improperly disposed of after their use. 

For fire safety tips and other updates from ECFR, like Escambia County Fire Rescue on Facebook.