Fireworks Safety Laws and Regulations for Gilbert, Arizona

Growing up as kids rarely did we think of or care about fireworks safety. We twirled around with our sparklers writing our names in the sky. We watched as our dads lit the Roman Candles and the really loud Black Cats. Everyone had that crazy uncle or gullible cousin who you could convince to hold on to a firecracker as long as they could until it exploded! Tales of emergency room visits never deterred us from our annual fireworks festivities. 

Now that we're a little bit older and a little bit wiser(most of us anyways), there are City ordinances and laws that should be followed to ensure a fun yet safe Fourth of July for everyone. The Town of Gilbert, Arizona passed Ordinance 2494 which allows the use of "Permissible Consumer Fireworks". The allowed dates of use are June 24th through July 6th and December 24th through January 3rd each year. During these times the use of fireworks is limited to private property with the owner's permission and prohibits use on all public property including all public parks and public right of ways. Individuals that do not adhere to these regulations will be subject to a civil penalty of $1,000.

Here are the only allowed Permissible Consumer Fireworks:

• Ground and handheld sparkling devices
• Cylindrical fountains
• Cone fountains
• Illuminating torches
• Wheels
• Ground spinners
• Toy smoke devices
• Wire sparklers or dipped sticks
• Multiple tube ground and handheld sparkling devices, cylindrical fountains, cone fountains and illuminating torches manufactured in accordance with section 3.0 of the APA 87-1. 

Illegal fireworks are defined as anything that is designed or intended to rise into the air and explode or to detonate in the air or to fly above the ground including Firecrackers, bottle rockets, sky rockets, missile-type rockets, helicopters, aerial spinners, torpedoes, roman candles, mine devices, shell devices and aerial devices, and shell kites or re-loadable tubes.

Nobody wants to have their Fourth of July celebration cut short because of a visit from the local law enforcement officials or due to a preventable injury. Gilbert residents should follow the Consumer Fireworks guidelines to ensure a safe and fun Holiday weekend!