The Fourth of July is here, and it’s time to prepare for a weekend of fireworks displays and a hot dog or two (or three).

But unofficial fireworks can lead to dangerous outcomes, including burning and seriously injuring people, sparking wildfires, and causing major property damage. Because of this, fireworks are also illegal in many parts of California.

KQED’s updated parts of its 2023 guide to Fourth of July fireworks to list out where you can safely view a show, tips on comforting your pets, or navigating a holiday if you are living with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Jump straight to:
• The kinds of injuries doctors see every year from fireworks
• Wildfire risks posed by personal fireworks
• Which fireworks are illegal in California
• Firework risks for people living with PTSD
• How to keep your pets calm

Fourth of July firework displays around the Bay Area

Keep in mind that not all fireworks displays are on Thursday, which is the Fourth of July this year. So, double-check the date and time before you head out.

Some of the events listed below also include festivals, vendors, and musical performances before the fireworks show.

• Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco at 9:30 p.m.
• Gabrielson Park in Sausalito at 9:15 p.m.
• Mt. Diablo High School in Concord at 9:15 p.m.
• Marina Bay Park in Richmond at 9:15 p.m.
• Lake Cunningham in East San Jose at 9 p.m.
• Almaden Lake Park in San Jose at 9:15 p.m.
• A post-Giants game fireworks display in San Jose at 7 p.m.
• Rivertown in Antioch County at 4 p.m.
• Morgan Hill Outdoor Sports Center in Morgan Hill at 3 p.m.

How personal fireworks — and bonfires — can injure or kill you

Even before considering the huge risks of sparking a wildfire (more on this below), setting off your own fireworks — even when legally purchased in one of the areas that permits them — can be incredibly dangerous.

At a 2023 safety briefing, Dr. Clifford Sheckter, Director of the Regional Burn Center at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, gave graphic examples of the kinds of injuries — and even deaths — that attempting to set off your own fireworks can incur. On mortar-style fireworks, Sheckter warned that “if those go off in your hand, you are losing fingers, if not your whole hand. If this goes off by your face, you could end up blind.”

And while sparklers might strike many folks as a small, innocuous kind of personal firework on July Fourth, Sheckter noted that not only are they illegal in many areas, but sparklers can also pose massive threats to children. “Kids think it’s a popsicle: They put it in their mouths, they put it near their faces, they give themselves pretty severe burns and end up on the burn unit for one to two weeks,” he warned.

Lt. Jonathan Baxter, a spokesperson for the San Francisco Fire Department, also told us in 2019 that sparklers are illegal in San Francisco. “Sparklers burn at 1,800 degrees, which is [hot] enough to burn gold,” he says. “So if it can burn gold, you can imagine what it can do to your hand.”

Sheckter particularly stresses the importance of not mixing alcohol and drugs with fireworks or fire, noting that “one of the most common injuries” his burns unit sees around the Fourth of July is incurred by people “mixing alcohol and bonfires.”

“If you get wasted and fall into a bonfire, you’re either going to die, or you’re going to end up severely burned and on my burn unit for the next six months,” Sheckter says, warning of so-called sixth-degree burns that can extend down into a person’s bones. Injuries from these kinds of burns, Sheckter says, are very difficult to reconstruct and often necessitate tissue grafts or prostheses. Curious children wandering around campsites and grasping coals, embers or fire pit rings are also a common source of pediatric injuries.

How personal fireworks can spark wildfires at this time of year

In 2021, over 150 fire scientists were moved enough to join many fire officials across the West in urging residents to abandon their plans to launch personal fireworks on July Fourth because of the wildfire risk.

Mishandled fireworks, specifically around the Fourth of July in California, have caused real damage in the past. In 2014, a reveler set off fireworks in Yolo County near the Monticello Dam, igniting a 6,500-acre blaze that took days to put out, injured five firefighters and drove dozens of people from their homes.

Read the full list of tips on preventing causing a wildfire with your fireworks.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has also warned that “smoke from exploding fireworks results in elevated levels of particulate matter close to the ground, making it difficult for people to breathe, and may trigger asthma attacks, coughing, wheezing and eye irritation.”

“At the local level, personal fireworks can cause unhealthy buildup in particulate matter pollution over the July 4 holiday,” a 2023 statement reads. “‘Safe and sane’ fireworks, like those purchased at pop-up fireworks stands, contain metal salts used to produce colors and can also cause excessive smoke.”

Whether you’re planning to light up some fireworks or simply watch them from afar, here are a few safety tips compiled from experts around the state.

Know the regulations in your community

Some types of fireworks — or any fireworks at all — are illegal in California.

“A legal firework has gone under testing by the state to ensure that the characteristics of it are inherently safer than those that don’t get our safety seal,” Daniel Berlant, deputy director of community wildfire preparedness and mitigation at Cal Fire, told KQED in 2022. “Really, any firework that explodes, goes up in the air or moves around the ground uncontrollably are considered illegal fireworks.”

Check this list to find out whether fireworks are legal in your city this Fourth of July (be sure to check the date.) Check this list to see which communities allow the sale of “Safe and Sane” fireworks (PDF).

If your community is not on this list, it is likely illegal — like San Jose, for example.

Fireworks are not permitted in California State Parks.

Know that in some communities, even viewing an illegal fireworks show can get you into hot water. For example, in 2023, the City of San José will now be “holding spectators responsible for their role in the use of dangerous and illegal fireworks” by making anyone who is “knowingly present and watching a fireworks exhibition” subject to a fine.

Use only approved fireworks

Although certain fireworks are legal in much of California, the state has a zero-tolerance policy for both the sale and use of illegal fireworks, and violators may face fines of up to $50,000 and jail time.

Illegal fireworks include firecrackers, Roman candles, skyrockets, bottle rockets, aerial shells and other fireworks that move on the ground or in the air uncontrollably. Want to do a quick check? Look for the Safe and Sane label that indicates fire marshal approval.

Plan your location wisely

As well as being sure whether fireworks are even legal in your city this Fourth of July, consider where you’re setting them off.

“We really are urging people to be extra cautious in wildland areas,” says Cal Fire’s Berlant, who notes that even in urban areas, fireworks can still spark a wildfire.

Berlant recommends you make “sure that Safe and Sane fireworks are used in areas that are cleared from vegetation” and are lit in “parking lots or in driveways that are surrounded by nothing that could catch on fire.”

Be ready to douse a fire

Never point fireworks at yourself or another person, and never attempt to relight or fix a firework that won’t light. Designate a sober, responsible adult to light up the fireworks. Light one firework at a time, far away from dry grass, and have a bucket of water or a hose handy in case something goes wrong. Also, this may sound obvious, but alcohol and fireworks do not mix well.

Properly dispose of fireworks

At the end of the celebration, all used and misfired fireworks should be submerged in water for 15 minutes and wrapped in a plastic bag to keep them from drying up. Then, toss them in the household trash. Any unused fireworks that have not expired should be kept in a cool, dry place away from children.

Firework risks for people living with PTSD

Fireworks can trigger symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans or victims of gun violence.

Dr. Brian Mohlenhoff, a psychiatrist in the PTSD clinic at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, told KQED in 2020 that many of his patients struggle when there’s an uptick in fireworks.

Mohlenhoff says he encourages his patients to focus on the present, adding, “What I’m hoping is that after [fireworks] happen, they can quickly reorient and remind themselves that they’re in a safe place, and they’re not back there. So anything that can help with that is a good thing.”

With the inevitability of fireworks going off across the Bay Area on a nightly basis, Mohlenhoff shared advice with KQED for how people suffering from PTSD can prepare and cope.

Plan ahead (if you can)

Preparation may be more difficult if you hear fireworks going off ahead of July Fourth—instead of being confined to a single holiday. With fireworks happening at unpredictable times, knowing when to expect them is impossible.

“I think it’s harder than the Fourth of July because that random explosion is very similar to a lot of people to what it’s like on a base,” Mohlenhoff says.

If you can, try to reduce the noise by listening to music, watching a movie or playing video games with headphones on. If bright flashes also trigger you, close your curtains or blinds to block the light at night.

Focus on the present and ask for support

The most important mental health tip, Mohlenhoff says, is to ground in the present moment and remind yourself you’re safe.

You can use grounding techniques to focus on your surroundings, such as naming out loud five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste.

Mohlenhoff says it can also be helpful to orient toward what’s around you and tell yourself things like, “I’m here in my home. I’m here with my loved ones. I’m here with my dog. And that boom is just the fireworks.”

Having a supportive friend or family member present (or that you can call) is often the most grounding for patients, Mohlenhoff says. It’s important for them to remind the person suffering from PTSD that they’re safe in the here and now. More tips on how to help a loved one cope with PTSD.

Download a mindfulness app

If you’re by yourself or need extra support, you can try a coaching app to guide you through grounding exercises.

Mohlenhoff recommends Mindfulness Coach, a free app created by the National Center for PTSD that offers guided meditations and coping strategies. Here is a list of more recommended apps from the National Center for PTSD.

Talk to a mental health professional

If you’re seeking professional help, the National Center for PTSD has information on how to find a therapist, counselor or mental health provider.

Here is a list of free hotlines to speak with a professional:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988
• National Institute of Mental Health: 866-615-6464
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741

Here are Bay Area centers specializing in patients with PTSD:

• San Francisco VA Health Care System
• Bay Area Trauma Center
• Bay Area Trauma Recovery Clinical Services

Fireworks and dogs: How to keep your pets calm

Fireworks are notorious for spooking animals, and shelters across the nation report an increase in lost pets every year on July Fourth. A Sacramento-area animal shelter is even looking for volunteers to sit with, comfort, and even sing to their animals on Thursday.

In 2019, we interviewed a veterinarian from the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for advice on keeping dogs and other pets happy while fireworks happen.

Here are her top tips:

Keep pets at home — or leave town

“It’s natural for animals to be fearful of loud noises,” Dr. Sophie Liu, San Francisco SPCA resident in behavior medicine, told KQED in an email.

Since fireworks have been so frequent, make sure your pets are secure inside your home, and you’re able to monitor them. But, if possible, she recommends going out of town with your pets for July Fourth — somewhere without fireworks, if possible.

Update your pet’s tag and microchip information

Liu says shelters often receive microchipped animals but are unable to contact their owner because the pet’s microchip information is outdated. Your veterinarian can help if you don’t know how to update this information or if you don’t remember which microchip company you used.

Recognize fearful behavior

Pets may perceive loud, unexpected noises as a threat, and running away or hiding is a natural survival instinct.

It’s important to know whether your animal is anxious in order to prevent them from accidentally injuring themselves. Animals may show signs of fear if they pant, lick their lips, whine, drool, shake, yawn, hide or do not accept a treat.

Create a safe space

“It is not uncommon to see pets trying to tear through metal crates, chew through door frames or jump out of windows,” Liu warns.

She suggests owners create a safe haven for their pets before and during fireworks celebrations.

“Choose a comfortable room without windows or where you can close the curtains. Play soothing music or use a white noise machine,” Liu says. “The goal of these tools is to help your pet relax and stay calm.”

Liu says some pets may want to hide in the bathroom due to its extra insulation, which could make a great safe space if your pet is naturally attracted to it.

Give them treats — but watch what they eat

Distract your furry friends with what they love most — treats. Even better: Try a treat-dispensing toy, like a Kong, to keep them distracted for long periods of time. “A pet that is comfortable enough to be eating is less likely to be panicked or worried,” Liu says.

But be aware of what they have access to, she warns.

“We’ve had animals come to our veterinary hospitals with severe injuries due to fireworks, including burns,” Liu says. “Pets should never be near fireworks — not only is it scary for animals, but fireworks have the potential to cause serious harm.”

Dogs may also try to eat fireworks that aren’t safely stored, which contain chemicals and heavy metals. Also, keep your canines from munching on sparklers, glow sticks, charcoal, kabob skewers and even these common foods that can be dangerous to pets.

Consider over-the-counter medication

You can try using calming pheromones to relax your pet, such as sprays for cats and collars or plug-ins for dogs.

If all else fails and your pet is exhibiting severe anxious behavior, Liu says to talk with your vet about medication options.

These tips were drawn from our 2019 story 6 Tips From a Vet to Keep Your Pets Safe on July Fourth.

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