After the Fourth of July was rained out, many people weren't able to light off their fireworks due to ordinances around town not extending the legal time to light.
Papillion firefighters say the best way to store unused fireworks is not to keep them at all.
You light it, they write it. That's the message from police to those setting off fireworks illegally after the fourth of July. However, some residents say all those unused fireworks is just money lost.
"This stuff isn't cheap," said David Hellbusch, a Papillion resident with thousands of dollars’ worth of unused fireworks.
Hellbusch has been putting on a neighborhood show for about 13 years and on average spends about 10-thousand dollars. But this year the rain dampened his show.
"This year just frantically tried to get everything lit off, hardly got to put a dent in it. I just had to stop for safety issues with the wind,” Hellbusch said.
So, for now, the fireworks are staying in his garage which is something Papillion Battalion Chief Brad Euans says not to do.
"We highly recommend they take any fireworks that they didn't get the opportunity to use and dispose of them properly,” Euans said.
But for people like Hellbusch, who plan to keep fireworks, there are safe ways to do so.
Officials say the fireworks need to be kept in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and any ignition sources.
However, Hellbusch says he doesn't plan to keep his stash stored for long. In fact, he plans to light them off as soon as the sun goes down Friday.
"It's my way of giving back, who really doesn't like fireworks, and who doesn't like the meaning of the 4th of July,” Hellbusch said.
Even if it costs him a little extra. "Bring 'em on — it's just a fine,” Hellbusch said.
Fire officials say that if you do plan to store fireworks that they shouldn't be kept for long because the gunpowder used in them can become more dangerous over time.
