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Things to remember if you shoot off fireworks after July 4th

Safety is important, but so is being mindful of your neighbors and their pets.

MACON, Ga. — The Fourth of July brings a lot of fireworks to our skies, but so do the days following this holiday.

For people with extra fireworks, here are some things to keep in mind.

"Fireworks don't have an expiration date. You can't just go in there and find a date that it expires. For the most part, you wanna store it in a dry, cool climate area away from kids," Sergeant Jeremy Webb with the Macon-Bibb Fire Department said. 

Webb recommends storing the fireworks in a bin or tote. The main thing to remember is that moisture ruins fireworks, so keeping them dry is crucial. 

If you choose to shoot off your fireworks instead of saving them for the next holiday, you can light them between 10 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. in Georgia.

Webb also said the best way to dispose of fireworks after shooting them off is by putting them in a bucket of water overnight before tossing them in the trash the next day. 

Georgia's weather this time of year can be a recipe for disaster if fireworks catch onto anything.

"We get numerous calls from fireworks. They get very hot and with us being so dry, with it being so hot, that if you shoot off fireworks, maybe in a wooded area, it can ignite," Webb said. 

However, some kids, pets, elderly folks, and people with PTSD may be startled by the sound if they hear fireworks outside of normal holidays. 

"Fireworks are so dangerous and anything can happen. And pets are terrified of it," Yollah owner Dawn McCullar said.

Mccullar said the firework noise in her restaurant's area following July 4 seems to be getting better year by year. 

"Fourth of July's a great celebration, we just need to be safe so we can have another Fourth of July," McCullar said. 

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