Will a Georgia heatwave make your stored July 4th fireworks explode? Here’s what we found

With the Fourth of July right around the corner, and the possibility of summer temperatures exceeding 90 degrees, it has become a rising concern that both outdoor firework stands and fireworks stored in hot areas might ignite and go off.

To put these concerns to rest and make sure you take necessary precautions before the holiday, know what possible risks come with storing your fireworks and how you should be storing them to ensure safety.

Will your fireworks go off in extreme heat?

One common question is whether or not fireworks could go off in hot enough temperatures. The short answer to that question would be that there’s no chance whatsoever.

The stem of a firework can only light with the presence of a sizable flame and the black gun powder that fills the interior of the rocket can only ignite at 867 degrees Fahrenheit. That would mean that even if your fireworks were in a hot car in the middle of the hottest place on earth they still would have no chance of going off.

What is the best way to store fireworks?

There are several ways that fireworks can still be a danger to your home or small children so be sure you’re storing them in secure areas and in the proper fashion.

Keeping fireworks in a shed or anywhere outside a house and in the driest environment possible would be ideal. If kept in a damp area for any reason, keep them in fully sealed plastic bags. Due to the risk of potential fires, keep the fireworks away from any kind of flammable materials or heat sources or faulty electrical appliances and exposed wires. the fireworks may not cause a fire, but they will act as an accelerant for one nearby.

If you plan to or constantly have children or small pets in your household, make sure you keep the fireworks in a secure or out of reach storage space.

Tips for safely using fireworks

To ensure for a Fourth of July with no hiccups or incidents, make sure you follow these tips:

• Make sure you buy fireworks off of the list of legal fireworks for Georgia.

• Keep children away from handling and standing in the general vicinity of fireworks, including sparklers that burn at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which lead to over a quarter of firework injuries.

• Use fireworks in an open area with no obstructions in the launch path and with no people in the immediate radius of the rocket.

• Do not use fireworks when intoxicated or impaired in any way (it can lead to a misdemeanor charge).

• Never shoot fireworks into plastic, metal or glass containers.

• Never point fireworks at another person.

This story was originally published July 1, 2024 at 1:02 PM.