The Independence Day holiday may be over but booming backyard fireworks displays probably aren’t. That is perfectly legal under Georgia law.
State law allows fireworks to be set off from 10 a.m. until 11:59 p.m. on non-holidays, according to local police agencies. And all types of consumer fireworks are legal, including bottle rockets and hand-held sparklers. Just don’t expect all of your neighbors to be thrilled, particularly those with skittish pets or young children, combat veterans or others with cognitive impairments.
“I get it. I like fireworks myself,” Cherokee County resident Paul Mitas said. “But they started Monday and every night somebody’s been shooting them off. I expect it tonight and again Saturday.”
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The four-legged member of the Mitas family — a 95-pound Husky — is terrified of fireworks. Plus, there’s the safety issue.
After a previous July 4, a family down the street nearly caught their house on fire due to smoldering fireworks in a trash can, Mitas said. The family used water to make sure used fireworks were cool, he said. But some managed to reignite and a firetruck was called to the neighborhood, near Woodstock.
Personal fireworks were to blame for several incidents around metro Atlanta on Thursday, according to police and fire agencies.
A 15-year-old boy was shot three times Thursday night in retaliation for setting off fireworks at a southwest Atlanta apartment complex, police said.
The teen, whose name was not released, was in stable condition at Grady Memorial Hospital with wounds to his leg, abdomen and back, Channel 2 Action News reported. Investigators believe the teen hit a man with fireworks at the Providence at Cascade apartments off Fairburn Road.
“The male that was hit by the firework then produced a firearm and shot toward the victim, striking him,” Officer Jarius Daugherty said. “The suspect then fled the location.”
In Gwinnett County, fireworks sparked a small fire on top of the Staples store near the Mall of Georgia, according to Capt. Tommy Rutledge with the fire department.
A witness told investigators people were shooting off fireworks in the parking lot around 11 p.m. when a spark landed on the roof of the building, Rutledge said. The fire caused only minor damage and was contained to a small area of roofing material. The store, which had no damage inside, was closed at the time and no injuries were reported.
In Cobb County, firefighters were called to extinguish three small fires blamed on fireworks, a spokesman for the fire department said. No injuries were reported.
James Kapish with Cobb fire offered some reminders for those still planning to celebrate with fireworks: You must be 18 to buy them; make sure you have a clear, open area and have water nearby; and keep pets indoors, turning on music or the television to help block out some of the fireworks noise.
Firework sales were prohibited in Georgia until 2005, when certain “novelty” items, such as sparklers, were legalized. Ten years later, sales of all consumer fireworks became legal, according to the State of Georgia website.
But users should review the laws, including any local ordinances, before lighting up the first firework, experts advise. And be considerate of those around you. Don’t leave the used fireworks in the neighborhood cul-de-sac, one Gwinnett County resident said.
“I don’t have an issue with fireworks,” Mitas said. “But rather than do them in the neighborhood with young kids and animals that don’t like them, go to a professional show.”
There are still more professional displays to be seen in metro Atlanta. Stone Mountain Park will repeat its Independence Day fireworks each night through Sunday.
