Fireworks evoke celebration, color, and drama worthy of special occasions, such as the 4th of July.
A firework display is a fun way to enjoy your garden in the evening with food, family, and friends.
If you had enough of children’s toys, and leaving your home to go to a crowded park, you will find it festive to have a smaller display in your backyard.
But if you have a small backyard will it be safe to set off fireworks and still have fun?
What to Expect? Read on below for a simple guide to fireworks for a smaller backyard and all the relevant info about safety, and which types of fireworks are suitable for a small garden space.
Fireworks in a small garden can be risk
With all of the light and color, it’s sometimes easy to forget that firework are explosive devices.
It’s part of being prudent to consider letting them off in a small garden, since they can cause damage and injury if things escape your control.
Let’s take a look at some possible hazards of shooting fireworks in a backyard that’s too small.
Injury
If a powerful firework discharges former spectators, they risk being hit by sparks or the full power of the explosion.
Firework injuries are some of the worse injuries to have, ranging from minor burns, to greater extent burns, ballistic injuries, and sometimes blindness.
And this is not a rare problem; in 2020, just under 16,000 people were hospitalized in the US with firework injuries.
Fire
If there is not enough clearance, the flames and sparks from the fireworks can land and even ignite property.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, fireworks spawned 19,500 fires resulting in deaths and over $100 million in property damage.
Nuisance
Lighting off aerial shells in the middle of a downtown area can upset your neighbors too.
They can also be terribly frightening to older people and little kids.
Also, you could be treated to a visit from the police over some unexpected sound complaints, depending on when you set them off.
Risk to nearby pedestrians/ road users
A small yard may not allow for enough separation to safely ignite rockets, and the flight path may go into vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
Harm to animals
Animals and fireworks do not mix well together and once again the proximity of letting off your fireworks in a small garden may frighten or injure pets and wildlife.
How big does my backyard need to be to use outdoor fireworks?
If you are old enough, you are able to buy and use fairly standard outdoor fireworks like rockets, fountains and cakes – but people often do not think about how much space you actually need to safely let off these types of explosive devices.
At a minimum, and depending on the type and specification of the fireworks you buy, you generally need to keep some sort of distance, typically between 8 and 15 metres away from the fireworks to anyone spectating it.
If the manufacturers of the fireworks advise you to keep a longer distance away, then do so.
The 8 metres is an absolute minimum distance, and only relates to consumer or garden fireworks.
Use the maximum distance available in your garden to get as far away from the fireworks as possible.
Only use consumer or garden-rated fireworks in your small back garden
If your small garden is spacious enough to have a safe firework display you will need to make sure you get the proper class of firework for consumer use in a garden.
Firework classification is done at the state level, but there is a Federal classification that will help you know what is safe for your garden display.
These classifications are through the United Nations Explosives shipping classification system and can be used for all fireworks, including those purchased for the 4th of July.
Look for class 1.4G fireworks for your garden
UN0336 Class 1.4G is considered a lower hazard/low decomposition/explosive toy or consumer fireworks. It indicates it is a pyrotechnic (fireworks) with a low explosion hazard and contained in the packaging.
It is in the same category as UN0161 Class 1.4S, which describes other low-powered explosives (e.g., firecrackers) that simply burn or ignite.
It is also known as Class B (Category 2 in the UK) consumer fireworks, sold at retail in the U.S. It is distinguished from fireworks used to support the professional shows.
Examples of consumer fireworks
- Ground spinners, pinwheels, and helicopters
- Smoke and novelty items
- Bottle rockets
- Skyrockets and missiles
- Firecrackers (there are strict limits on the amount of explosives in the firecracker)
- Flares & fountains
- Roman candle
- Black snakes and strobes
- Cakes (multi-shot aerial devices)
- Sparklers
- Catherine wheel
Best fireworks for a small backyard
The greatest method to prepare fireworks for your tiny garden is to start with the least powerful items and slowly scale upwards.
These fireworks are generally low-noise so you can enjoy them without being a major nuisance to your neighbors.
You’ll be able to use these less-powerful fireworks at a distance of 8-metres or so with confidence:
Sparklers
Sparklers are a lovely choice for light and sparkle in a small outdoor space.
These handheld fireworks, which are used in many celebrations all over the world, create dazzling white or colored sparks as they burn down slowly.
Children can hold sparklers under the direct supervision of an adult.
Ice fountains
Ice fountains are an excellent idea for a small backyard or even balcony where they can be lit for sparkling flames and colors.
Most ice fountain sparklers are safe for indoor use, or as a birthday cake decoration.
Fountain fireworks
Fountain fireworks are an excellent choice for a low-noise fireworks display in your backyard.
Fountain fireworks are a great option for young families and pets because you won’t hear big bangs.
When lighting, fountain fireworks are ground-based fireworks that erupt like a volcano creating a high tier, colorful display while making whistles and crackling sounds.
Roman candles
Roman candles are an old school firework that stays on the ground.
After lighting it, this firework will produce sparkling stars or exploding shells.
The closures that will open up the shells will blast straight up into the air where risk of a fire is limited if your garden is very thin.
The Power of the Roman Candle comes from its diameter, the larger the diameter the more powerful the Roman Candle, and the larger the Roman candles you will see in a professional firework display.
Catherine wheels
Typically, you would attach one of these conventional spinning fireworks to the ground – for example, to a stake or a solid base.
When the Catherine wheel is lit, the firework spins, ejecting sparks and colored flames.
Strobing flares
This is yet another quiet firework perfect for smaller areas.
They provide a brilliant visual display with a vertical variety of strobing effect that produces few errant sparks.
This unique flashing pulsing light is a good item to add to a fireworks show as it certainly captures everyone’s attention.
Barrages or firework cakes
Firework cakes and barrages tend to be too strong for a small garden but there are a few barrages specifically designed for 8m distances.
Many firework retailers will have barrages and cakes that you can use somewhere with an 8m clearance.
Firework cakes are a very large bump in noise, light and drama. If you want a big bang, turn to a compound cake as they can have multiple pre-fused cakes within.
Manufacturers will glue these to a wooden board so you can light one fuse and all the cakes fire consecutively filling your sky with bombs bursting in air.
Last-minute tips for setting off fireworks in a small backyard
- Check local and state regulations regarding fireworks use to be sure you are complying with the law.General
- Quality matters, if possible buy your fireworks from a decent manufacturer or retailer.
- Have water and a garden hose ready. A bucket of water when using sparklers is best to put them out.
- Only one person should be lighting fireworks in your yard and only one firework at a time.
- If you light a firework and it doesn’t go off, don’t approach it or try to relight it. Be sure to spray it with the hose from a distance.
- Set up your fireworks site away from homes, dried vegetation, and trees.
- Do not use a glass container to support anchor fireworks. Broken glass or ceramic can be lethal shrapnel from an exploding firework.
- Never hold a firework to light it, too much can go wrong.Above all, always secure the firework first before lighting it.
- Never leave children unattended near fireworks, if they are not beyond parental control do not allow them to light fireworks.
- Keep all pets and very young children inside.
- Do not attempt to modify fireworks or construct your own fireworks.
- Once the firework has finished burning, spray it down with the hose before disposal.
Rounding up
Although you must take care when using fireworks in a small grounds, you will still have plenty of options that will terrific your family and friends.
Keep in mind that with a smaller and tighter space, as the fireworks are lit you will need to make sure that you/can escape out of the area in a clear safety manner.
You will also have to make sure that they are secured before you the fireworks are lit, according to the manufacturers requirements.