New Year’s Eve is today and fireworks are the main attraction but State Fire Marshal Butch Browning is reminding people to always be cautious.

Browning says every season, an average of nine people are injured due to fireworks. He reminds everyone to make sure and follow a few simple guidelines when lighting the devices.

“When you light these pyrotechnics, they’re on a stable base. You light them and you move away real quickly. You never want to handle these devices. Have a water hose or a bucket of water handy.”

Browning says it’s never a good idea to repackage fireworks, like taping a bunch together because it’s a recipe for disaster. He also advises people to purchase fireworks from a licensed dealer and report anyone selling suspiciously to the state fire marshal’s office.

“What you’re being sold is not licensed, maybe someone selling out of a trunk of a car or someone going door to door.”

Browning says some parishes do not allow people to purchase fireworks and set them off, like East Baton Rouge. He advises anyone who isn’t sure if their town or parish allows fireworks to check on the fire marshal’s website.

“Typically where you see a stand set up, that’s an indication of that jurisdiction is legal because we don’t allow stands to sell in communities that prohibit the use of those devices.”

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