Independence day is over for another year. It’s time to pack up and store the patriotic decorations, sparklers, and fireworks for next July 4th, or maybe for the next big family celebration, whichever comes first. Most people already know this, but, please don’t keep fireworks in your self storage unit. 

For starters, it’s against policy to store fireworks or any other type of explosive at most self storage facilities.The possibility of an explosion is too risky, not only to your personal valuables but to the possessions of other tenants. It also creates a serious hazard to any of the staff or visitors to the facility. It’s not worth risking serious injury or damage by storing fireworks or any other flammable materials in your unit.

If you’re curious, here is a complete list of items that you are not permitted store in your unit:

• Plants
• Firearms and munitions
• Food and pet food
• Flammables, explosives, radioactive materials
• Lead paint, asbestos, urea formaldehyde, petroleum products, or methane
• Medical waste
• Stolen goods
• Cash (not covered by insurance)

Your fireworks are explosives. If you have leftover fireworks that you need to store, check the following tips.

How to Store Fireworks

These tips are not guarantees, but they can help keep you and your family safe.

Tip 1: Depending on where you live, it may not be legal to store fireworks. You should check your city or county ordinances to verify that storing leftover fireworks is permitted.

Tip 2: General high temperatures do not set fireworks off. It’s okay to store them in a hot, dry environment; it’s only the heat from a match or lighter that sets them off.

Tip 2: Keep those unused fireworks in a secure place away from your home and family. The best place is a locked shed that is far away from the house. And, don’t store tham near ignitable, flammable materials like oil, gasoline, water heaters, or any kind of naked flames.

Tip 3: Don’t store them in cardboard boxes. Not only will these add fuel to the fire if there is a catastrophe, but cardboard will not protect fireworks from water. The best solution is a metal storage container. Be careful not to overpack the box and crush the lower layers, ruining the fireworks for later use. 

Tip 4: Do not tell your children where the fireworks are stored, and be sure that pets can’t get at  them.

Tip 5: Keep a fire extinguisher near the fireworks storage area.

Tip 6: If fireworks get wet, they should be completely soaked and discarded. Fireworks cannot be dried out and used safely. 

Tip 7: When fireworks have been stored in a manner that keeps them dry, the chemicals do not deteriorate or become unstable or dangerous. If no moisture gets into the packaging, fireworks can last 50 years and perform as if they were recently made. 

The main thing to remember is the safety of you and your family. Follow the above tips, and you shouldn’t have any problems.