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July Fourth is a big celebratory weekend and who doesn't love to celebrate with fireworks?

Except you don't want to turn it into a dangerous tradition.

WESH 2 was in Deltona and it's one of several cities hosting fireworks shows for the holiday.

For some of those cities, it's the first time those large Fourth of July events will be back open to the public since the pandemic canceled them.

Fire officials are using this time to remind people to look out for themselves and others.

It's that time of year again when people across the country gather to celebrate independence and fireworks.

"The biggest thing we always say is have a water source. A bucket of water, a garden hose that can readily put a fire out if something was to happen," Seminole County Fire Battalion Chief Chad Chorack said.

Chorack is sharing tips on how to avoid a dangerous Independence Day.

The first he says is to have water nearby in case anything goes up in flames, but to prevent things from reaching that point.

He says to be mindful of what you're holding.

"What most people think is 'Oh, it must be the firecracker that's doing the burns.' Actually, it's sparklers and sparklers account for most of – 25 percent of the calls and we give it to the youngest kids," Chorack said.

He says sparklers burn at about 2,000 degrees.

A new report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says the number of firework-related injuries and deaths in the country is growing.

The report shows between 2006 and 2021, those injuries climbed 25%.

More recently, in South Florida, a man's hand was blown off in a firework accident.

"They're either aiming fireworks at one another or at crowds or they're trying to relight a dud or a firecracker that malfunctioned," Chorack said.

Chorack says never relight a firework that failed and avoid trying in crowds.

"A lot of people like to do it in the middle of a street, around cars, in areas that are not as safe per se if something goes wrong," Chorack said.

If you want to see pretty sparkles fly in the air, Chorack says just leave it to the professionals and go to the nearest show on July 4.

He said to be mindful of where you buy your fireworks from, skip the homemade fireworks and go to a reputable dealer.

Also, we're in Florida, so it gets hot and sticky here.

Don't forget to bring extra water and stay hydrated when you head out to the large gatherings this weekend to avoid heat exhaustion.

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