Explained: fireworks rules in Harris County

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Fireworks are allowed in unincorporated areas of Harris County.

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Don't get a ticket. Know the rules before you set explosions this weekend.

The nation's first Independence Day celebration featured a fireworks show. Now, 239 years later, the rockets' red glare and bombs bursting in air still give proof every Fourth of July that our flag is still there.

Somewhere along the way a retail pyrotechnic market emerged, and celebrating citizens with easy access to explosives in urban hubs proved a recipe for trouble. So here in the City of Houston, we've got rules.

Rule number one: no fireworks inside the Houston city limits.

The Houston Police Department will up its enforcement efforts across the board this holiday weekend, and that includes firework laws.

Anything with a fuse is forbidden. Violators will face fines between $500 and $2,000 for each individual firework. Warnings are not issued for these violations.

Outside the city limits, fireworks are allowed in most cases, said Lt. Todd Mitchell of the Harris County Fire Marshall's Office, depending on local ordinances. With no burn bans this year, fireworks are fair game in unincorporated parts of the county. But rules still apply.

They can't be launched within 600 feet of a hospital, gas station, fireworks stand, school or church (except with written permission, in some cases). They may not be set off in a moving vehicle.

Even in legal locations, fireworks can cause severe injury when improperly used.

"A lot of time what people are doing is trying to hold those mortars, the launching tubes," Mitchell said. "Those should not be held."

A slight squeeze on the cardboard tube can trap the mortar inside, he said, so it explodes in someone's hand.

RELATED: Fireworks-related incidents that hurt, killed Americans in 2015

Other common injuries result from using fireworks while intoxicated or letting children use them unsupervised, he said.

The Fire Marshall's office has been out inspecting about 425 fireworks stands in the county and about 25 indoor stores, making sure they have adults behind the counter, safe storage methods and that they are not selling to children under 16. They will also be out enforcing firework rules across the county over the weekend.

Mitchell said the office encourages revelers to attend public displays instead of launching on their own.

Here's a list of those public displays in the county this Fourth of July:

"Freedom over Texas" at Elanor Tinsley Park 9:30 PM

Fireworks in the Woodlands in the Woodlands 9:30 PM

Fireworks in Katy 9:00 PM

Fireworks in Baytown 9:30 PM

Fireworks in Pearland 9:30 PM

Fireworks in Sugar Land 9:30 PM

Fireworks in Tomball 9:00 PM

Fireworks at the Kemah Boardwalk 9:30 PM

Fireworks in Kingwood 9:00 PM

Fireworks in Pasadena 9:30 PM

Other shows at private venues:

The Overlook 8:45 PMBridgeland 9:00 PMCrosby Church 9:00 PMFaithbridge United Methodist Church 9:00 PMPine Forest Country Club 9:00 PMSplashtown 9:00 PMGleannloch Farm Sports Complex 9:15 PMTowne Lake 9:30 PM