What Not to Do on 4th of July In Texas

Texas loves to do everything bigger and bad...er than others, especially when it comes to 4th of July fireworks. As much as I hate to sound like Buzz Killington, there are steps required to assure the safety of you and others around you as you ignite literal bombs in your yard.

How to celebrate safely

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), you should never allow children to interact with or light fireworks, including sparklers (lame). As a kid, I loved when the sparklers would come out. There's nothing like pretending you're Harry Potter with a wand that reaches 2,000 degrees in your hand.

The CPSC provides further tips:

• Never ignite or handle fireworks while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Never light fireworks without a water hose or bucket nearby
• Do not light more than one firework at once
• Never attempt to re-light a "dud"
• Never ever point fireworks at yourself, other people or buildings.

What fireworks are not allowed?

In Texas, bottle rockets with an overall length of under 15 inches and a propellant charge of less than 4 grams are not allowed.

Also, it doesn't matter what you are shooting, any firework within 600 feet of a church, hospital, asylum or educational institution is against the law.

The full list of illegal fireworks are outlined in the Texas Occupations Code, Subchapter F.

Other July 4th tips

Good Housekeeping implores you to adhere to the following:

• Use crumpled tin foil to clean your grill rather than a wire brush
• Don't involve your dogs in fireworks
• Don't store propane tanks in confined areas (especially your car)
• The obvious: don't drink and drive