Fireworks are for celebrations, but Dallas city officials are warning people not to buy or set off their own fireworks.
Fire prevention officers will team up with Dallas police on New Year’s Eve to look for fireworks and random gunfire.
“Fireworks are inherently dangerous. They cause a number of injuries. They can cause damage, accidental fires,” said Dallas Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Chris Martinez, the Dallas Fire Marshal. “We do roam throughout the city and we are in different parts of the city, all parts.”
People caught in the city of Dallas with fireworks could face fines of up to $2,000 and confiscation of the fireworks -- which are illegal in many North Texas cities.
Customers were still lined up to buy fireworks Tuesday at the Palmer Fireworks Company stand on Dowdy Ferry Road, just outside Dallas city limits in Dallas County.
Jose Rodriguez, from DeSoto, said he was spending about $165 on a display for his family. He seemed as excited about it as some of the kids buying fireworks with their families.
“Oh yeah. Never outgrow it. Been doing it since you were a kid, so it’s something you don’t really outgrow,” he said.
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But Rodriguez said he planned to take the fireworks to a rural spot to fire them off with other families, far from cities, where fireworks are legal.
“It’s less housing, I’m pretty sure that’s what they look at," Rodriguez said. "More houses in the city limits, more stuff that could burn, that’s what they look at I guess."
For other customers, the Palmer Fireworks Company has land beside the stand on Dowdy Ferry Road where people can shoot their fireworks off for a fee. A large tank of water is on hand in case of fire.
“They can shoot on the property, no worries about doing it within city limits,” manager Colton Lusk said. “It’s great because you can watch other people shoot off their stuff. You can shoot your own. You can barbeque out here, volleyball, whatever you want to do.”
In the city, Dallas police threaten to arrest people caught firing guns on New Year’s Eve.
“What can seem harmless and fun, can be very, very dangerous,” Dallas police Ofc. Carlos Almeida said. “Once that round goes into the air, you no longer have any control over where that round is going to land. It could land anywhere from someone’s home to someone’s head.”
Almeida said punishment ranges from a citation to a prison sentence of up to 10 years for the charge of deadly conduct.
