BARTOW, Fla. — If you’ve already bought fireworks for New Year’s Eve festivities, you may want to hold off until next year.

What You Need To Know

Burn bans are in effect across several Tampa Bay counties, making it illegal to use personal fireworks to prevent fires during dry conditions

Officials urge caution, saying some residents may still use fireworks, but safety measures are essential to protect people and property

Alternatives include attending professional firework shows

Several counties across the Bay Area are under a burn ban, prohibiting the use of personal fireworks. The bans are meant to prevent outdoor fires due to dry conditions.

In Polk County, the burn ban hasn’t stopped the buying and selling of fireworks. Officials say some people may still set them off, but they’re urging everyone to keep safety in mind.

Resident Jay Schumacher said he knows firsthand how important it is to celebrate the New Year with caution.

“Especially with the Boy Scouts being in our background, we want to have fun, but we also want to be responsible,” he said.

Schumacher said taking that responsibility seriously is something he’s instilled in his son, Andrew. He said they wouldn’t have stopped by a local fireworks stand on Wednesday this year without taking certain precautions.

“We both know how to work with fire. We set up a table in our backyard, we have a bucket of water, we use eye protection, and we use a lighter with a long tip so we’re backed off,” he said.

Schumacher also said they live miles away from other homes. At Polk County Fire Rescue, Chief Shawn Smith strongly encourages residents to think about their neighbors’ well-being.

“Fireworks shoot off, they go up in the air, and you don’t know where they’ll drift. The wind can carry them three or four houses down or into an open field, and eventually we’ll get a phone call,” Smith said.

To prevent brush fires and wildfires, Smith recommends families attend professional firework shows. As for Schumacher, he plans to hold his own celebration on his property but said he understands why that isn’t the right choice for everyone.

“It’s easy to get carried away,” he said.

Along with fireworks, the burn ban also prohibits:

Campfires
Bonfires
Unpermitted controlled burns
Burning of yard and household trash
Burning of organic debris
Noncommercial burning of materials, other than for religious or ceremonial purposes, that is not contained in a barbecue grill or pit, with a total fuel area no larger than 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet in height

Anyone who violates the burn ban in Polk County can face a fine of up to $500.